- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 4 Tablespoons Buttermilk
- 1/4 Cup Lukewarm Water
- 1 Teaspoon Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Buckwheat Flour
- 1/2 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Egg Whites
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/4 Cup Buttermilk
- Caviar (any type will do, you may even use salmon roe)
Combine the heavy cream with the 4 tablespoons of buttermilk in a glass jar. Mix well and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 18-24 hours. Mix again and refrigerate. Will last for up to one week.
Blinis
In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let soften (about 5 minutes). Whisk the milk and melted butter into the yeast mixture.
In another bowl, sift together the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic and leave the mix to rise in a warm place. Let the batter double in size, about 2-3 hours.
Whip the egg whites util stiff peaks form. Add the 1/4 cup buttermilk to the risen batter and gently fold in the egg whites.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add some butter to the pan. Pour the blini batter into the pan to form 3-4 inch pancake. Cook until light brown, flip, and do the same for the other side.
Assembly
Place a small amount of caviar on the center of a warm blini. Top with a small dollop of crème fraîche.
