Cornmeal Blinis Recipes

BUCKWHEAT OR CORNMEAL BLINI WITH RADISH TOPPING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the finely chopped radishes, drained yogurt or blended cottage cheese and yogurt, salt, pepper, lemon juice and dill.
• Warm the blini. Top with a spoonful of the radish mixture, garnish with a radish slice and serve.

SWEET CORN BLINI

Steps:

• Put flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Grind 1 cup corn kernels to a rough purée in a food processor, then add egg and yogurt, and pulse to mix. Add corn mixture to flour mixture and stir together until just mixed to make a thick batter. Stir in 4 tablespoons melted butter. Set aside for 5 minutes. Thin with a little milk if necessary. (Batter may be prepared several hours ahead.)
• Warm remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 1 cup corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 1 minute or so to heat through. Keep warm.
• Put greased griddle or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Using 1 tablespoon batter, make pancakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook for 1 minute, until bubbles appear on surface and pancakes are lightly browned. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more. (Be sure to keep heat moderate or else the pancakes will blacken.) Pancakes may be cooked in advance and reheated.
• To serve, place 3 hot pancakes on small plate. Top with spoonful of cooked corn and some of the butter from the pan. Drizzle with crème fraîche and sprinkle with chives.

HIZIKI CAVIAR WITH CORNMEAL BLINI

Steps:

• Place hiziki in a bowl and rinse once with lukewarm water. Cover with apple juice, shoyu, water, and soak 30 minutes. Heat sesame oil in a skillet. Add the onion and then garlic; add sea salt and saute for 5 minutes. Add hiziki and soaking liquid, cover and cook 10 minutes. Grate ginger and add it to the skillet along with the lemon juice. Cook the mixture covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Allow hiziki mixture to cool slightly and pulse in food processor for a few seconds. Serve chilled but not icy cold.
• Sift cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl beat together corn oil, maple syrup, soymilk, water and vinegar. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir in parsley. Heat a skillet and add a 1/2 teaspoon corn oil. Drop batter by scant tablespoons onto heated skillet. Carefully turn blini after about a minute. Lower heat and flip blini to cook only about 45 seconds on that side.
• To serve blini with hiziki caviar: Place a teaspoon of caviar on top of each blini and garnish with chives or parsley.

CORNMEAL BLINI WITH TOMATO-CORN SALSA

Steps:

• For Blini:
• Heat milk and water to lukewarm (105°F. to 115°F.) in small saucepan. Pour into large bowl. Mix in sugar and yeast. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Stir flour, cornmeal and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir into yeast mixture. Mix in buttermilk and egg yolks. Cover with plastic and let stand in warm area until very spongy, about 2 hours.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Brush large nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches and brushing with additional oil as necessary, drop batter by tablespoonfuls into skillet, spreading gently to 2-inch rounds. Cook until golden on bottoms and bubbles begin to break on surface, about 2 minutes. Using spatula, turn blini over; cook until golden, about 1 minutes. Arrange in single layer on large baking sheets. Keep warm in oven.
• For Salsa
• Mix all ingredients except yogurt in medium bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Blini and salsa can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool blini. Cover blini and salsa separately and chill. Reheat blini uncovered in 350°F. oven about 10 minutes before serving.)
• Spread small amount of yogurt over blini. Divide salsa over blini. Arrange on platters and serve warm.