Blinis

Blinis are a type of small Slavic pancakes, often served as an appetizer or to accompany smoked fish, caviar, and sour cream. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 100g of flour
• 10g of fresh yeast
• 125ml of lukewarm milk
• 1 egg, yolk separated from the white
• A pinch of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• Butter for cooking

Preparation

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk with the sugar.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the egg yolk and the milk and yeast mixture. Stir until you have a smooth batter.
3. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the mixture rise in a draft-free place for about an hour, or until it has doubled in volume.
4. Whip the egg white until stiff peaks form and gently fold it into the risen batter to make the blinis fluffier.
5. Heat a non-stick pan and add a bit of butter.
6. Pour small amounts of the batter into the pan to form the blinis, cooking them for about a minute per side or until golden brown.
7. Serve the blinis warm, accompanied by sour cream, smoked salmon, or caviar.

Trivia

In Russian tradition, blinis are themselves a celebratory dish, associated with Maslenitsa, the week before Lent. Their round and golden shape symbolizes the sun returning to warm the earth after the long winter.

To add an Italian touch to this dish, you might serve the blinis with a ricotta cream instead of sour cream and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and finely chopped aromatic herbs.