500g smoked salmon, thinly sliced and cut into small pieces about the size of each pancake
chives, chervil, and/or dill to garnish
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups crème fraîche
Preparation
Heat oven to 120°C.
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt and stir well to mix. Add egg and milk, and mix until smooth.
Heat a heavy griddle or frying pan over medium heat until hot, then brush with oil. Using a spoon and working in small batches, drop tablespoons of batter into the pan. When bubbles form evenly on the top of the blini, turn (just once) and cook until golden.
Transfer the first batch of cooked blini to a heatproof plate lined with paper towels and keep warm, covered, in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter.
To serve, top each warm blini with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche, 1 small curl of salmon, 1 teaspoon caviar, and a pinch of herbs. Serve immediately.
