Cuisine / Recipe

Buckwheat blini

& all the trimmings!

On the 16th of December, with the almost-polar night wrapped around us, the kitchen called. Buckwheat blini felt like the right kind of quiet project – batter rising under a tea towel, thinly sliced shallots steeping in vinegar and sugar.

One by one, I spooned the mixture into the pan, watching the edges turn golden. We skipped the mustard this time, but there were avocados on the kitchen bench – perfectly ripe and just asking to be part of it all. A dollop of smetana, a slice of smoked salmon, tangy pickled shallots, and a generous squeeze of lemon brought it all together.

Buckwheat blini

Fluffy, nutty buckwheat blini with tangy pickled shallots, creamy smetana, and silky smoked salmon - a dish that feels both indulgent and comforting. Perfect for special occasions, an elegant fika, or even a relaxed weekday dinner. On school nights, I like to serve it buffet-style: a platter of blini, a jar of smetana, and smoked salmon arranged on my favourite plate. Everything in the centre of the table, ready for the three of us to assemble their own.

Notes

I’m partial to my plättlägg when making blini. It’s a Swedish pancake pan with shallow indentations, perfect for creating evenly sized, golden rounds that hold their shape beautifully. It’s traditionally used for plättar – small Swedish pancakes – but works wonderfully for blini, too. If you don’t have one, a non-stick frying pan will do just fine.
Author: Fanny Zanotti
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Makes 30 blini

Ingredients

For the blini

  • 25 g fresh yeast
  • 3 dl whole milk
  • 75 g buckwheat flour
  • 120 g plain flour
  • 2 eggs separated
  • a pinch of flaky sea salt
  • 50 g salted butter melted

For the pickled shallots

  • 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 50 ml distilled vinegar [12%]
  • 90 g caster sugar
  • 150 ml water

Toppings

  • smetana
  • wholegrain mustard
  • smoked salmon sliced
  • fresh dill to garnish
  • avocado
  • lemon sliced into wedges

Instructions

Pickled shallots:

  • Combine the vinegar, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then set aside to cool.
  • Add the sliced shallots to the cooled liquid and leave to pickle while you prepare the blini batter.

Blini:

  • Crumble the yeast into a large mixing bowl. Warm the milk to 30°C and pour it over the yeast, stirring until dissolved.
  • Gradually whisk in the buckwheat flour and plain flour until the batter is smooth.
  • Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Beat the yolks and salt into the batter. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 30-40 minutes.
  • Melt the butter and whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir the melted butter into the batter, then gently fold in the whisked egg whites.
  • Heat a blini or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little butter. Spoon small amounts of batter into the pan to form individual blini. Cook until golden on both sides.

To serve

  • Place a dollop of smetana on each blini, followed by a slice of smoked salmon and a few rings of pickled shallots. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon juice. Some freshly crushed black pepper or grated horseradish is a favourite too!
  • Serve immediately.

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