Carrot Blinis
These Russian-inspired small pancakes are carrot-based, and topped with herbs, caviar and a dollop of crème fraîche. They’re a great hors d’oeuvre for your holiday party!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (75 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) warm carrot purée (see note)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) warm carrot juice
- 1 egg, at room temperature, separated
- Softened butter, for cooking
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) sour cream or crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp bottarga or fish roe of your choice
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
- Chopped chives or small dill fronds, for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine both flours with the yeast and salt. Add the carrot purée, carrot juice and egg yolk. Whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let the batter sit for 1 hour in a warm, humid spot or until doubled in volume.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form. With a whisk, fold the egg white into the batter. The batter will be sticky.
- Heat a lightly buttered non-stick skillet over medium heat. For each blini, pour 2 tsp (10 ml) of the batter into the skillet to form 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) round pancakes. To get perfectly round blinis, even out the circles of batter with the back of a lightly oiled spoon. Cook 6 blinis at a time for 1 to 2 minutes or until small bubbles form on the surface. Flip the blinis over and cook for another minute or until golden. Set the blinis aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining batter. Add a small amount of butter to the skillet between each batch of pancakes.
These Russian-inspired small pancakes are carrot-based, and topped with herbs, caviar and a dollop of crème fraîche. They’re a great hors d’oeuvre for your holiday party!