BLINIS WITH BUTTERED BEETROOT & SMOKED MACKEREL

Blinis are the epitome of canapé culinary heaven. This small, versatile savoury pancake is super easy to make, it just takes a little time to prepare, but it so worth it when entertaining a crowd. Just be mindful, that this recipe does yield a lot of mixture. As for the toppings, we made our blinis with buttered beetroot, topped with smoked peppered mackerel and a zesty horseradish creme fraiché.

Blini ingredients

• 12.5g yeast
• 350g plain flour, sifted
• 285ml whole milk warmed through in a pan/microwave oven
• 2 free-range organic egg yolks
• A good pinch of salt
• 145ml/¼ pint milk, cold
• 2 free-range egg whites, whisked

Blini method

1. To begin, make a thin paste out of the yeast and 225g of the sifted flour diluted with the warm milk.
2. Leave this paste to ferment for twenty minutes or so in a warm room/ area or the kitchen, and then add the rest of the flour (115g), the egg yolks, a pinch of salt, the cold milk and mix together without letting it acquire any body. Once mixed, fold in the whisked egg whites which should loosen the mixture.
3. Let this ferment for fifteen minutes to an hour, and during this time if the mixture has thickened add small amounts of cold milk until slightly more runny.
4. When you are ready to start, pour a small amount of the blini batter onto the electric plancha or non-stick pan. We always wipe the plancha with a little olive oil first so they flip easily. Use a dessert spoon to place the mixture onto the hot surface. You’ll get neater, more consistent blinis.
5. Wait for bubbles to form on the upper side then flip over. Once the underside is slightly browned, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the topping of your choice or freeze in batches for future use.

buttered beetroot ingredients

• 50g salted butter
• 2 large raw beetroot. peeled and very finely sliced (you can grate if you prefer)
• 1 Lemon
• 3 smoked, peppered mackerel fillets but into small strips
• A bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1tsp horseradish
• 100ml full fat creme fraiche

beetroot method and final assembly

1. Heat the butter in a pan and pour in the beetroot. Stir gently on a medium heat to fully coat the beetroot and cook for a minute until slightly softened, but not mushy. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Assemble the blinis with a small serving of beetroot (this should just cover the base of the blini, not be piled high).
3. Place a piece of mackerel on top and garnish with a small spoon of the creme fraiche which we mixed with 1/2 a lemon and a tsp of horseradish. Add salt and more lemon to taste as needed.
4. Serve to guests with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives and a glass of crisp white wine.

Images: HM