Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche and Caviar

This recipe for blinis with smoked salmon, crème fraîche and caviar has everything to become the star appetizer of any celebration and is perfect to present on your Christmas table. It's easy to prepare, very eye-catching and I assure you the blinis are delicious. Also, when you make the buckwheat blini batter, you'll see they are easy to digest.

Although you can buy blinis at any supermarket, if you make them at home the result is always better. The time it takes to make the batter is very little and you can always have it prepared in advance. Just the blinis will need to be cooked, something that with the Le Creuset nonstick crêpe pan will be a breeze, because it heats wonderfully and thanks to its extraordinary nonstick coating, nothing sticks!

Find the prettiest platter to bring them to the table and success is guaranteed. With these buckwheat blinis with smoked salmon, crème fraîche and caviar, they'll be cheering for you!

Ingredients

For the blini batter

• 240 ml milk
• Finely grated zest of half a lemon
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 1 egg white (at room temperature)
• 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
• 30 g melted butter at room temperature
• 60 g wheat flour
• 60 g buckwheat flour
• 20 g sugar
• 6 g chemical leavening agent (type Royal)
• 1 g salt

For the cream and assembly of the blinis

• 240 g crème fraîche (soured cream)
• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
• 10 g chopped fresh dill
• 10 g chopped fresh chives
• 5 g poppy seeds
  
• Finely grated zest of half a lemon (and a little more for garnish)
• 10 ml lemon juice
• Smoked salmon, sliced small, to taste
• Caviar or fish roe, to taste
• A few sprigs of fresh dill, for garnish

Preparation

Preparing the blinis

1. Mix the milk with the lemon juice and the grated zest of half a lemon in a bowl, and let rest for 5 minutes.
2. Add the egg yolk and the melted butter, and mix well until combined.
3. In a larger bowl, mix the flours with the baking powder, salt and sugar.
4. Put the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix until fully combined.
5. Whip the egg white until soft peaks form, using a whisk. Fold the egg white into the batter gently, using folding motions.
6. Heat your Le Creuset nonstick crêpe pan over medium heat and add a little butter to lightly grease it.
7. When the pan is hot, pour small portions of batter to form the blinis. Ideally use about 15–20 g per blini. You can use a ladle or do it with measuring spoons.
8. Cook the blinis until small bubbles start to appear, about 1 to 2 minutes
9. Flip them and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until you see they are golden.
10. When ready, keep them warm and set aside.

Preparing the cream and assembling the blinis

1. Mix the crème fraîche well with the shallot, dill, chives, poppy seeds, the grated zest of half a lemon and the lemon juice. If necessary, add a little salt.
2. Spread the cream over the blinis. You can do this with a spoon or using a piping bag.
3. Place the slices of salmon on the blinis and add a little caviar on top.
4. Garnish with a few sprigs of dill and lemon zest, or with lemon slices.