BLINI BITES

A failsafe recipe to make a big batch of wonderfully puffed blinis – they taste so much better than shop-bought!

MAKES about 50 PREP 1hr, plus rising and cooling COOK about 20min

175ml (6fl oz) milk

40g (1½oz) butter

125g (4oz) plain flour

50g (2oz) wholemeal flour (bread or plain) 1½tsp fast-action dried yeast

1tsp caster sugar

2 medium eggs, separated

2tbsp freshly chopped chives 1tbsp sunflower oil, to fry TO SERVE

Crème fraîche Small prawns and/or smoked salmon strips Lumpfish caviar, optional In a small pan, gently heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Set aside to cool until just warm. Place the flours, yeast, sugar, ½tsp salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper into a food processor and whizz to combine. With the motor running, add the warm milk mixture followed by the egg yolks. Pour into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 45min or until well risen. When ready, whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites and chives into the yeast batter. Brush a little of the oil around a large non-stick frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Working in batches until the pan is full, drop in teaspoonfuls of the mixture, spacing a little apart. Cook for 1min on each side or until golden. Move the cooked blinis to a board to cool and continue cooking with the remaining oil and batter. To serve, dollop some crème fraîche on to each blini and top with prawns or smoked salmon. Spoon on a little lumpfish caviar, if using, and serve.

GET AHEAD At the end of step 4, open-freeze the blinis until solid. Pack into a bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost in a single layer at room temperature. Complete the recipe up to 1hr ahead of serving.