Russian: Blinis (Pancakes)

Recipe by Maxim Krupskiy <krupskii@illinois.edu>

(makes about 20 crepes)

Russian pancakes (blinis) are one of the simplest, most versatile, and beloved dishes in Russian cuisine. Blinis are usually made on Maslenitsa, an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday marking the transition from winter to spring. The beauty of blinis is that they can be eaten with almost anything, as an appetizer, main course, or dessert — for breakfast or at any time of day, cold or hot — they are delicious in any form!

Pancake ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 6 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for brushing
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups milk, room temperature
• 1¼ cups soda water
• Spray coconut oil

For Serving:

• Sour cream (optional: mix in prepared horseradish)
• Nutella, jam, cheese, fresh fruit, fruit preserves, honey, etc
• Smoked salmon, smoked trout, sauteed mushrooms*
• Garnish: fresh dill, chopped chives, finely chopped red onions, poppy seeds, ground cinnamon, whipped cream, ice cream, powdered sugar, etc

Procedure:

1. Make the batter: in a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs
2. Add melted butter, salt, mix well
3. Sift in flour, add milk, mix well again
4. Finally, add the vegetable oil and soda water, mix gently
5. Test the batter: Heat 8-inch nonstick skillet, spray a little vegetable oil; when pan is hot, pour in a small amount of batter, then tilt immediately to make a thinner crepe; if the crepe is too thick, add more water to batter; if the crepe is too thin, add more flour; discard test crepe
6. Making large (8-inch) pancakes: repeat above, but this time pour in about ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of the batter, tilt immediately and swirl to allow batter to coat the entire bottom of the pan; let the crepe cook over medium-high heat until the edges start to curl up (about 1 minute); flip the crepe with a spatula and cook for 10 seconds longer or until a few brown spots appear on the bottom; repeat until batter is gone (you should end up with about 20 pancakes)
7. Transfer each finished pancake to a large plate, brush each crepe with butter along the edges; allow to cool before serving (or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed)
8. To serve: spread 2 tablespoons of filling near the bottom center of one pancake, fold edges over filling and roll the pancake up; top with sauce or garnish (if desired)
9. Or: fold pancake in half, then in half again to make a triangle; top with filling and/or sauce

*Saute sliced mushrooms in butter and/or red wine until soft before stuffing. You can also make a white wine sauce: sprinkle flour into pan when mushrooms are soft, add white wine and stir until sauce is thickened and smooth, then season with salt & pepper to taste (optional: dissolve a small amount of mushroom base into the sauce). Tip: reserve some sauce to pour over the blinis before serving.