Smoked Trout, Beetroot and Horseradish Blinis

Beetroot and Horseradish Blinis topped with Smoked Trout, Soured Cream and Pickled Cucumber, Crab, Lemon and Chives

by Jilly McCord @jillymccordcooks

My favourite part of any get together is the drinks and nibbles part when you get a real chance to mingle with your guests and welcome them into your home. First impressions count and what better way to impress than with these delicate and delicious canapes as a perfect start to a festive drinks party, or as a light starter. They would be an extra special start to Christmas day served with a glass of festive fizz. These can be made ahead of time (you could double the recipe if you are expecting a big crowd) and kept in a sealed Tupperware in the freezer. They can then be refreshed in the oven and topped with the toppings suggested or lots of possible alternatives. Discover how your presentation can be elevated to a different level using the beautiful Cole & Mason chopping & serving boards.

 

Difficulty: Medium

Cooking/Prep Time: ½ hour prep and 1 hour rest time

Serves: 12 people for canapes – batter makes around 36 blinis

Ingredients:

For the batter:

• 75g strong white flour
• 75g buckwheat flour (you can use plain or wholemeal flour if you not have)
• 1 large egg
• 125ml milk
• 70g butter (30g for batter and 30g for frying blinis)
• 1tsp dried yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 180g cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)
• 2 tbsps hot horseradish

For the toppings:

• 1 small tub soured cream
• 1 packet of chives
• Finely chop the chives and add to soured cream

Fish/Seafood - you can add smoked trout/salmon, hot smoked trout/salmon, white crab, prawns, caviar

Alternatives – whipped goat’s cheese and beetroot, quail’s eggs and chives

Pickled cucumber is also a lovely addition – just peel strips length ways from half a cucumber. In a jam jar, mix 250ml white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sea salt – just let sugar and salt dissolve into vinegar. Place the cucumber strips in a sieve and grind some sea salt on it – allow to sit on draining board for ten minutes, then squeeze out the water with your hands. Add the cucumber to the jar and mix into the vinegar mixture. Quick pickle for 10 minutes or several hours and serve.

Method:

1. Take 2 small mixing bowls and separate the egg yolk and white into bowls
2. In a separate larger bowl, sift the flours, yeast, salt and sugar
3. In a pan, gently heat the yoghurt, milk and 30g butter. Also add 75ml water.
4. Add the egg yolk to the flour mix, then the warm mixture from the pan. Whisk together and cover and leave to sit in a warm place for an hour, or until increased in size with bubbles on the top.
5. 10 minutes before the batter is ready, take the beetroot and horseradish and blitz in a food processor or by hand blender
6. Whisk the egg white until you have stiff peaks.
7. Add the beetroot and horseradish mix to the batter and combine. Now fold in the egg white using a metal spoon. The batter is now ready to cook.
8. Take a non stick pan/griddle and heat on medium. Use some greaseproof paper to wipe the pan with small amounts of butter before each batch. Drop tbsp size spoonful of the batter into the pan.
9. Cook on one side until little bubbles appear on the top of the mixture and carefully flip over until cooked through. You will need to monitor the heat carefully as you do not want too much colour on them, but just lightly toasted.
10. Once cooked place on wire rack, repeat for rest of batter in batches, and then get ready to top. Start with a small spoonful of sour cream and chive mixture and then add pickled cucumber, smoked salmon, caviar and lemon zest. Alternatively, mix some crab meat with lemon zest and chives, top with soured cream and crab mixture.
11. Serve to your guests on the Cole & Mason UK | Acacia Wooden Chopping & Serving Board (coleandmason.com) for a show-stopping start to your festive celebrations