Cornmeal Blinis Recipes

SWEET CORN BLINI

Steps:

• Put flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Grind 1 cup corn kernels to a rough purée in a food processor, then add egg and yogurt, and pulse to mix. Add corn mixture to flour mixture and stir together until just mixed to make a thick batter. Stir in 4 tablespoons melted butter. Set aside for 5 minutes. Thin with a little milk if necessary. (Batter may be prepared several hours ahead.)
• Warm remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 1 cup corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 1 minute or so to heat through. Keep warm.
• Put greased griddle or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Using 1 tablespoon batter, make pancakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook for 1 minute, until bubbles appear on surface and pancakes are lightly browned. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more. (Be sure to keep heat moderate or else the pancakes will blacken.) Pancakes may be cooked in advance and reheated.
• To serve, place 3 hot pancakes on small plate. Top with spoonful of cooked corn and some of the butter from the pan. Drizzle with crème fraîche and sprinkle with chives.

BUCKWHEAT OR CORNMEAL BLINI WITH RADISH TOPPING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the finely chopped radishes, drained yogurt or blended cottage cheese and yogurt, salt, pepper, lemon juice and dill.
• Warm the blini. Top with a spoonful of the radish mixture, garnish with a radish slice and serve.

HIZIKI CAVIAR WITH CORNMEAL BLINI

Steps:

• Place hiziki in a bowl and rinse once with lukewarm water. Cover with apple juice, shoyu, water, and soak 30 minutes. Heat sesame oil in a skillet. Add the onion and then garlic; add sea salt and saute for 5 minutes. Add hiziki and soaking liquid, cover and cook 10 minutes. Grate ginger and add it to the skillet along with the lemon juice. Cook the mixture covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Allow hiziki mixture to cool slightly and pulse in food processor for a few seconds. Serve chilled but not icy cold.
• Sift cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl beat together corn oil, maple syrup, soymilk, water and vinegar. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir in parsley. Heat a skillet and add a 1/2 teaspoon corn oil. Drop batter by scant tablespoons onto heated skillet. Carefully turn blini after about a minute. Lower heat and flip blini to cook only about 45 seconds on that side.
• To serve blini with hiziki caviar: Place a teaspoon of caviar on top of each blini and garnish with chives or parsley.

CORN BLINI WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CHIVE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine sour cream and chives in a small bowl. Cover and chill.
• Cut kernels from ear of corn. Scrape remaining pulp from cob using the dull side of a knife blade. Discard cob. Set corn aside.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and cornmeal in a medium bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine milk and egg yolk in a small bowl, stir well with whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir with a whisk until just moist. Stir in corn, salt, and pepper.
• Place egg white in a bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gently fold egg white mixture into corn mixture.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tbls. batter per blini onto pan, spreading to about 2" diameter. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges begin to set. Carefully turn blinis over, cook for 1 more mintue. Transfer blinis to a serving platter, and arrange in a single layer; keep warm. Repeat process with the remaining batter. Top each blini with with 1 piece salmon and 1 teaspoons sour cream mixture. Garnish with chopped chives, if using.
• Makes 8 servings.

CORNMEAL BLINI WITH TOMATO-CORN SALSA

Steps:

• For Blini:
• Heat milk and water to lukewarm (105°F. to 115°F.) in small saucepan. Pour into large bowl. Mix in sugar and yeast. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Stir flour, cornmeal and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir into yeast mixture. Mix in buttermilk and egg yolks. Cover with plastic and let stand in warm area until very spongy, about 2 hours.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Brush large nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches and brushing with additional oil as necessary, drop batter by tablespoonfuls into skillet, spreading gently to 2-inch rounds. Cook until golden on bottoms and bubbles begin to break on surface, about 2 minutes. Using spatula, turn blini over; cook until golden, about 1 minutes. Arrange in single layer on large baking sheets. Keep warm in oven.
• For Salsa
• Mix all ingredients except yogurt in medium bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Blini and salsa can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool blini. Cover blini and salsa separately and chill. Reheat blini uncovered in 350°F. oven about 10 minutes before serving.)
• Spread small amount of yogurt over blini. Divide salsa over blini. Arrange on platters and serve warm.

BLINIS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE, ROAST BEEF & CORNICHONS

Steps:

• Warm the blinis following the pack instructions. Mix together the crème fraîche and mustard and spoon onto the blinis. Fold the beef on top then add the cornichons. Arrange the blinis on a platter, grind over some black pepper and serve.