This recipe has been on my long que of recipes for some time. It’s more of two separate recipes combined into one using the yeasted blinis with creme fraiche and caviar to bring you the most light, savory, and rich appetizer to ring in the new year or any other celebration of the sort. A high school friend of mine introduced me to caviar when I was in the eleventh grade. He and his parents would usually snack on it with crackers after school and it quickly became a favorite snack of mine as well. This snack is on a whole other playing field as they are served atop a garlicky creme fraiche and fluffy and sweet blini. Blinis are just fancy little pancakes. If you have a lot of leftover batter like I did just feel free to save it for New Years’ Day morning for breakfast! Happy New Year everyone!
Yeasted Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Caviar
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 8 (MAKES 80)
1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast
½ cup plus 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons plus 3 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, separated
2½ cups half-and-half, room temperature
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, chilled, for skillet
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 – 2 oz. jar red whitefish caviar
1 – 2 oz. grey mullet roe caviar
Prepare
ACTIVE: 1 HR 30 MIN TOTAL: 5 HRS
1. Mix yeast, ½ cup flour, 2 tsp. sugar, and 1 cup water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until entire surface is foamy and puffed in places, about 30 minutes. If this doesn’t happen, your yeast is past its prime; start again with a fresh package.
2. Add egg yolks, half-and-half, melted butter, salt, remaining 2⅓ cups flour, and remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar to mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover batter and let sit in a warm place until almost tripled in volume, 3–4 hours. (Or, to make ahead, cover and chill 8–12 hours. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
3. Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl to soft peaks; fold into batter.
4. Melt about ½ Tbsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Scoop in heaping tablespoonfuls of batter to make 2” blinis. Cook until bubbles form on top and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until other sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer blinis to wire racks. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out skillet and adding more butter as needed.
6. Mix creme fraiche and garlic, salt, and pepper.
7. Top with creme fraiche mix and your choice of red or black roe caviar and serve immediately.
- 1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast
- ½ cup plus 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons plus 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 2½ cups half-and-half, room temperature
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, chilled, for skillet
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
- 1 - 2 oz. jar red whitefish caviar
- 1 - 2 oz. grey mullet roe caviar
- Mix yeast, ½ cup flour, 2 tsp. sugar, and 1 cup water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until entire surface is foamy and puffed in places, about 30 minutes. If this doesn’t happen, your yeast is past its prime; start again with a fresh package.
- Add egg yolks, half-and-half, melted butter, salt, remaining 2⅓ cups flour, and remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar to mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover batter and let sit in a warm place until almost tripled in volume, 3–4 hours. (Or, to make ahead, cover and chill 8–12 hours. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
- Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl to soft peaks; fold into batter.
- Melt about ½ Tbsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Scoop in heaping tablespoonfuls of batter to make 2” blinis. Cook until bubbles form on top and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until other sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer blinis to wire racks. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out skillet and adding more butter as needed.
- Mix creme fraiche and garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Top with creme fraiche mix and your choice of red or black roe caviar and serve immediately.
