Beluga Lentil Caviar On Buckwheat Blinis Food

BELUGA LENTIL CAVIAR ON BUCKWHEAT BLINIS

Steps:

• In fine-meshed sieve, rinse lentils, removing any tiny stones and debris. In small saucepan, bring 2 cups (500 mL) water and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt to a boil. Add rinsed lentils. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or just until lentils are tender but still hold their shape. It's best to be slightly undercooked. Drain well and transfer to medium-sized bowl. Add red pepper and onion and gently fold together. Set lentils aside to cool while making blinis.
• In medium-sized bowl, combine all-purpose and buckwheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to blend. In small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, oil and lemon juice. Add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
• Line baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Lightly brush large nonstick frying pan with a little oil. Heat pan over medium just until a drop of water bounces when added.
• Drop batter, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) at a time, into hot frying pan, leaving space in between. You want batter thin enough so each blini will spread out to about 2 in (5 cm) in diameter as it cooks. If batter appears too thick, whisk in a tiny splash of additional milk.
• Cook blini until bubbles form on the surface, about 1 to 2 minutes. Then flip with thin spatula and continue to cook for 1 more minute, until light golden brown. Transfer to lined baking sheet in single layer. Add a piece of parchment between layers as needed. Cover and set aside. Blinis can be refrigerated up to a day.
• To serve, top blinis with equal amounts of yogurt, lentil mixture, capers, a pinch of za'atar, and a sprinkling of chives.

BUCKWHEAT BLINI WITH CAVIAR

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup milk. Stir in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
• Combine remaining all-purpose flour, the buckwheat flour and salt. Add 2 cups milk to the yeast mixture and gradually whisk in flour-salt mixture until you have a smooth, thick batter. Whisk in melted butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature and let batter slowly double in size, about 2 to 3 hours. (The batter may remain at room temperature even longer if necessary.) You may also mix batter and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.
• When you are ready to cook blini, stir down batter, which will have become quite frothy. Beat egg yolks and whisk into batter. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
• Spoon batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle, using a large soup spoon to make blini that are 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 2 minutes, until bottom is well browned. Flip and cook 1 minute more. (Wait until surface is covered in bubbles before flipping.) Keep warm in a low oven. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, a drizzle of butter, a generous spoonful of caviar and a sprinkling of chives.

RUSSIAN BLINIS WITH CAVIAR

Steps:

• Scald the milk and set aside.
• Dissolve the yeast in one-fourth cup warm water.
• Sift the white flour into a bowl, add the buckwheat flour, salt and sugar.
• Beat the egg yolks until thick. When the milk has cooled to lukewarm, add the yolks and three tablespoons of the melted butter. Add the yeast. Mix well and pour into the flour. Mix thoroughly, removing any lumps. Set aside in a warm place lightly covered with a towel for about two hours, or until doubled in bulk.
• Whip the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks and fold them into the batter.
• Lightly butter a small frying pan. Pour in just enough of the pancake mixture to coat the bottom of the pan. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn the pancake over and cook lightly on the other side. Wrap the pancakes in a napkin and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the others. Serve in a pile, wrapped in a napkin.
• Serve the caviar, the sour cream and the remaining melted butter in small bowls on the table. Each person puts a pancake on a plate, butters it, adds sour cream and caviar, and rolls it like a crepe.

BUCKWHEAT BLINI

Steps:

• Heat the milk and 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat until butter is melted, and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the sugar water and let stand in a warm place until yeast is frothy, about 5 minutes. Pour in the milk mixture, add egg yolks and whisk to blend.
• Combine the flours and salt and gradually whisk into the yeast mixture until smooth. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let batter rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Stir to deflate the batter. (Batter can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours before proceeding.) Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into batter just until blended.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt enough butter to coat a large griddle or skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When butter sizzles, drop tablespoons of batter onto surface to make blini roughly 2 inches in diameter. Cook until bubbles appear on top and the bottom is golden brown. Turn and cook until bottom is lightly browned. Place blini, overlapping but not stacked (they will get soggy), on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batter. Stop using the batter when bubbles no longer appear on the top (there may be about 1 cup left), or the blini will be thin and tough.
• To serve, brush blini lightly with melted butter and top each with a dab of créme fraîche or sour cream and a small dollop of caviar.

BELUGA LENTILS

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils, and pick through them to remove any small stones.
• Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute. Add the onion, thyme, chile, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook the onion, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the lentils and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring to coat the lentils in the oil and vegetables. Reduce the heat to low, and add the wine. Quickly add 6 cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
• Strain the lentils over a bowl. Toss them with the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, the basil sprigs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. (Add more of the liquid if the lentils seem dry.) Taste for seasoning.

BLINI WITH CAVIAR AND YOGURT TOPPING

Steps:

• Place the onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Drain on paper towels.
• Place the yogurt in a bowl, and stir in the onion, chopped eggs, chives and caviar. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Warm the blini in a low oven or in a microwave. Top each with a spoonful of the yogurt mixture and serve.