Thin blinis rolled up tightly, cut into short pieces and stood on end, then topped with sour cream, a spoonful of red caviar and a sprig of dill. There is no filling: the rolled layers of blini are the base. The blinis can be made ahead, and the topping goes on just before serving.
Ingredients
Blinis
- 60 g plain flour
- 125 ml milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp melted butter, plus a little extra for the pan
To top
- 100 g sour cream or crème fraîche
- 100-150 g red caviar
- Fresh dill, in small sprigs
Method
- Whisk the egg, milk, sugar and salt together. Sift in the flour and whisk until the batter is completely smooth, then stir in the melted butter. Let it rest for 15 minutes. It should be thin, like single cream: add a splash of milk if it is thicker.
- Heat a non-stick pan (about 22 cm) over medium heat and brush it lightly with butter. Pour in a thin layer of batter, tilting the pan to coat it evenly.
- Cook for about 1 minute, until the edges lift and the underside is pale golden, then flip and cook for 20-30 seconds more. Repeat to make about 4 blinis and let them cool completely.
- Roll each blini up tightly into a long log. Chill the logs for 10 minutes so they firm up and cut cleanly.
- Trim the ends, then cut each log into pieces about 4-5 cm long with a sharp knife. Stand the pieces upright on their cut ends, so the rolled layers show on the sides.
- Just before serving, spoon a heaped teaspoon of sour cream onto the top of each piece, then add a teaspoon of caviar and a small sprig of dill.
Tip: Roll the blinis tightly and cut with a sharp, thin knife for neat layers. Add the caviar at the last minute and spoon it on gently: the eggs burst easily.