Buckwheat
Blinis with California Estate Osetra Caviar
By Chef Tsar Nicoulai, Caviar,
San Francisco, CA
Chef
Participant: Cooking for Solutions
Conference 2006
Serves:
4
Ingredients:
(use organic when possible)
1
cup Buckwheat Flour
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tbls. Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt (generous)
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup Half & Half
2 sm. Eggs
1/4 cup Butter (unsalted, melted)
2 oz. Caviar* (California Estate Osetra)
Creme Fraéche
Procedure:
1. Mix buckwheat, all-purpose flour, salt and
baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix sugar with eggs,
buttermilk and half & half. Slowly add dry ingredients to
egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Finish by stirring in melted
butter Scrape down the sides and cover. Rest in refrigerator
for 3 hours.
3. Preheat a nonstick or tempered cast iron
skillet. Do not get it too hot! Turn heat to medium and butter
the surface of the skillet. Try not to brown the butter.
4. With a small ladle or squirt bottle, make
blinis 1 inch in diameter. The batter spreads out to a diameter
of 1-1/2 inches. When the blini begins to form little bubbles
on top or around edges, it is ready to flip, about 40 seconds.
Flip the blini and cook until golden brown, about 20 seconds.
To Serve:
Let blinis cool for about 5 minutes. Top with a little creme
fraéche and a generous dollop of caviar. Makes 32 blinis.
Note: Blinis are best fresh, but can be stored
in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on low
heat about 1 minute per side.
*Seafood Watch recommends farmed caviar from the U.S.