Brunch of the Month

Blinis for Brunch:

Blinis are a little pancake from Russia made with buckwheat – a gluten free grain, related to rhubarb, not, as one supposes, to wheat. It is more of a bread than a pancake. In Russia, you would cover your Blinis with soured cream and Caviar . You can serve Blinis with tons of things for Brunch; smoked salmon and scrambled egg; cottage cheese and jam and many other things.

To make 12 to 15 Blinis:
150ml ( ¼ pint) warm milk.
½ teaspoon dried yeast or 6g ( ¼ oz.) fresh yeast.
1 teaspoon sugar.
175g (6oz.) plain four or, if you can find it, buckwheat flour.
1 large egg.
Pinch of salt.
Oil for frying.

Put the yeast into a bowl (crumble fresh yeast) and add the sugar, pour in the warm (body temperature) milk. Whisk the milk and the yeast to mix thoroughly and leave in a warm place for at least 10 minutes – until there are bubbles over the surface of the milk.

Sift in the flour into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk the egg into the milk and yeast. With a hand-whisk, beat in the milk mixture into the flour gradually, until a thick batter forms. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a thick bottom pan or skillet, and spoon in one dessertspoon of the batter. If you find the batter is too thick after resting (sticks to the spoon - does not pour off the spoon), slacken it off by whisking in a little more milk – but not too much. Flatten out the batter a little and allow the batter to firm up and then flip over the Blinis and fry the other side. It will puff up into a bready-type, small pancake and ready to serve.

It is best not to store Blinis but to eat them the day you make them. Shop-bought Blinis have some sort of preservative in them that ensures they keep their rather unappetising rubberyness!

Ham and Marmalade Blinis:

4 quite large Blinis.
Unsalted butter, slightly softened or olive oil-type low-fat spread.
4 teaspoons thick-cut traditional marmalade. Chop up the ‘shreds’ a bit, so it is not too lumpy.
50g (2oz.) good, sliced, smoked ham.
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or cream cheese.
Tablespoon chopped fresh sage.
Ground pepper.

Spread butter or low-fat spread on one side of 4 blinis. Take a pastry cutter that is the same size as the Blinis and cut 4 discs of ham. Finely chop up the bits of ham that are left over and mix in the crème fraiche or cream cheese. Place a disc of ham on each of the four buttered Blinis, spread half a teaspoon of marmalade on each ham disc, divide the cream cheese and ham mixture and place a dollop in the centre of the marmalade. Scatter a little
chopped sage on each lump of cream cheese and finally a very light sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.

Visit the Breakfast Book website; www.breakfastbook.co.uk

For further information:            Hugo Woolley
Telephone                                01841 532426
Email address hugo@breakfastbook.co.uk

Breakfast Book Ltd.Woodlands Country House,Treator, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8RU