Recipe - Blini With Three Caviars

2 One half tablespoon Sugar
2 cup Milk
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter, melted,
Plus additional for brushing
the griddle
1 cup Buckwheat flour (available
at natural foods stores and
Specialty foods shops)
1 cup Allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2 lg Eggs, separated
Three fourths cup Wellchilled heavy cream

(Buckwheat Yeast Pancakes With Three Caviars) from 1989

a 1/4ounce package (2 One half teaspoons) active dry yeast about 2 cups sour
cream as an accompaniment about 4 ounces each black caviar, golden caviar,
and salmon roe

In a large bowl proof the yeast with One half tablespoon of the sugar in 1/3 cup
lukewarm water for 10 minutes, or until it is foamy. Stir in 1 cup of the
milk, heated to lukewarm, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons
of the butter, and the buckwheat flour, beat the batter for 1 minute, and
let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 2 hours or
chill it, covered tightly, overnight. (Chilling overnight produces a
tangier flavor. Let the batter come to room temperature before continuing
with the recipe.) Stir in the remaining 1 cup milk, heated to lukewarm, the
allpurpose flour, the salt, and the yolks, beat the mixture for 1 minute,
and let it rise, covered with the plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 hour,
or until it is double in bulk and bubbly. In a bowl beat the cream until it
holds soft peaks and fold it into the batter. In a metal bowl beat the egg
whites until they just hold stiff peaks and fold them into the batter
gently but thoroughly.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over moderate heat until it is hot, brush
it lightly with the additional melted butter, and spoon tablespoons of the
batter onto the griddle, spreading them to form 3inch rounds. Cook the
blini for 1 minute on each side, or until the undersides are golden.
Transfer the blini as they are cooked to a platter and keep them warm,
covered with a kitchen towel. Make blini with the remaining batter in the
same manner, brushing the griddle lightly with the butter as necessary. The
blini may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat
the blini, covered with foil, in a 350~ F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or
until they are warm, or microwave them on a microwavesafe platter, covered
with microwavesafe plastic wrap, at high power (100%) for 2 minutes, or
until they are warm.

Arrange 3 or 4 blini on each of 18 small plates, top them with some of the
sour cream, and arrange some of the caviar decoratively on the sour cream.
Serves 18 with blini to spare.

Source: Gourmet magazine, January 1991 favorite recipes from old issues

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini