Name: Salmon blini stack
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 8-10
Ingredients: 35g buckwheat flour; 75g strong white flour; 1 tsp fine salt; ½ tsp easy blend yeast; 100g crème fraîche; 140ml whole milk; 1 large free-range egg, separated; Sunflower oil for frying; 340g full-fat cream cheese; 3 tbsp hot horseradish sauce; Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped; Handful fresh dill, finely chopped; Handful fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped; 2 tbsp capers; 240g smoked salmon slices; Salmon caviar and grated lemon zest to serve; 22cm non-stick frying pan (measured across the base)

Salmon blini stack

Pile ’em high with this triumphant salmon blini stack; it makes for an impressive dinner party starter but also makes a knockout Christmas brunch dish. Wondering what else to do with salmon? These adorable salmon tartare blinis make brilliant use of any leftovers.

Serves8-10

Hands-on45 min

DifficultyMedium

Method

For the blinis, sift the flours and salt into a bowl. Stir in the yeast, then make a well in the centre.
Gently warm the crème fraîche and milk in a small pan. Mix the egg yolk into the warmed milk, then pour into the well in the flour. Whisk everything together to form a smooth batter. Cover the bowl, then leave in a warm place for 45 minutes until the batter is thickened and frothy (see Make Ahead).
Just before cooking, whisk the egg white in a small clean bowl until it forms medium peaks. Straightaway, fold the egg white gently into the batter using a large metal spoon.
Grease the frying pan with oil and set over a medium heat. Pour a quarter of the batter into the hot pan and tilt so the batter covers the base of the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until bubbles appear and the underside is golden, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, top with a square of baking paper to stop the blinis sticking, then repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan when necessary, until you have 4 large blinis stacked up. Set aside to cool.
Mix the cream cheese and horseradish in one bowl, and the herbs and capers in a second bowl. Put 1 blini on a serving plate, then spread with a quarter of the cream cheese mixture, followed by a quarter of the herb mixture and a third of the salmon. Repeat twice, then add the final blini. Spread with the rest of the cream cheese mix, then top with the salmon caviar, lemon zest, remaining herb mix and freshly ground black pepper.