Caviar with Blini & Crème Fraiche
Yield
About 20 blini
RECIPE Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups warm milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided use
- 2 ¼ to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
- 2 large eggs, separated, yolks beaten
- 4 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
- Clarified butter or neutral high heat oil, for cooking
- Crème Fraȋche
- Farm-Raised Ossetra Caviar Malossol
Recipe notes
Make our easy yeasted blini recipe for buttery, light-as-air pancakes, the perfect vehicle for our sustainable, farm-raised French caviar.
RECIPE Preparation
- Make the sponge: In a large bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in ½ cup of flour until smooth. Place the sponge, covered, in a warm place until bubbly and almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Make the batter: Stir the warm milk, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 ¼ cups flour, egg yolks, sugar, and salt into the sponge. Whisk the batter until completely smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set to rise until bubbly and doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. Stir the batter well, then allow to rise one more time in a warm place, covered, about 45 minutes. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter. Allow the batter to rest, about 10 minutes.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium flame. Lightly and evenly grease the pan with clarified butter or oil. Using a tablespoon measure, carefully spoon each blini the pan, being careful not to crowd them. When they start to bubble and the surface looks slightly dry, flip them over and cook, about 15 seconds more. Remove them to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter, re-greasing the pan in between batches, until all the blini are done.
- To serve, top each blini with a small dollop of crème fraiche. Crown with caviar.
