This layered appetizer of blini, salmon mousse and crunchy toppings pairs very well Champaign and looks lovely on a tray presentation. It is also easily versioned, so you can build a tray of various flavors with the same base Blini.
Jump to RecipeBlingtastic Blini Appetizer
A salmon mousse blini canape gives an impressive first bite to go with the REAL champagne we were serving – ooh la la! Though often seen with caviar, I went in a different direction. Blinis offer a different experience than crackers or bread. It has a softer texture but sturdy enough to hold up toppings.
Wine Pairing
Original Pairing: Champagne Moutard Brut Grande Cuvee Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine
General Pairing: Dry champagne, Prosecco, dry sparkling white wines, Reisling
Specialty Ingredients
Buckwheat flour– you can find in specialty flours. Although it has “flour” in the name, it is considered gluten free. However, if its a real issue, check the label to ensure it is so and not processed with chance of contamination.
Bobs Red Mill, Organic Buckwheat Flour, 22 Ounce
Equipment
Flat Griddle or Pan: I like to use my flat griddle pan for this. It is non-stick and heats evenly. Because there are no deep edges, it’s easier to flip these little guys.
Cuisinart 630-20 Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 11-Inch Square Griddle
Small No-scratch Spatula: if you are using a non-stick pan, do not be tempted to use an offset metal spatula (like the kind you use for cake frosting). Don’t risk your pans! There’s a good amount of spatulas out there. I like the fish ones because they are designed for delicate flipping. They tend to be more flexible and have holdes that help to release the food.
Plastic storage bags or pastry bags: I use plastic bags (usually ziplock) to both store and then easily dispense semi-solid creamy foods. With limited bandwidth, that is my hack. But, a more eco-friendly solution is a re-usable pastry bags. They are sturdier and you will have much better control, especially if you use a tip.
Ateco Wunderbag Decorating Bag, 24-Inch, Reusable, Professional Grade & Heavy Duty Construction
Microplane for zesting: I have a couple different zesting tools based on what I’m using it for. For this recipe, you want a really fine zest from a Microplane. I use this tool for zesting and finely grating ginger, garlic and even cheese. I am always grabbing this for something.
Microplane Classic Zester/Grater, Black
Planning the dish
Three key recipes make this salmon blini appetizer: lemon blini, smoked salmon mousse, and marinated cucumber sticks. Once you have premade those elements, it’s mostly about assembly.
Timing the Elements
Week Ahead: Make the blinis first and freeze.
2 Days Ahead: Make the Salmon Mousse 1-2 days ahead. The flavors need to marry, but you don’t want fish to sit too long.
Early Day Serving: Marinate the cucumbers 2-4 hours prior to use. You a bit of bite to them, not soggy. You can also use fresh cukes with a little salt. Prep the lemon zest and potato crumb garnishes.
Serving Time: Don’t fully assemble until your are close to serving if you want the potato chips topping to stay crunchy. You can also skip the potato chips 🙁 or serve them on the side. Seriously try them though, the are an amazing “junk food” pairing with a dry champagne.
Plating Tips
For a large party, I make the blinis small to have a one-bite experience. About the size of a silver dollar. This works really well when you have a tray of them. Just leave enough room for people to be able to grab them without touching the one next to it. If it is a smaller crowd, you can use small plates with larger blinis.
Pairing Alterations
Depth of Salmon
Increase or decrease tbe amount of smoked salmon you are using. A dryer white wine may need a bit more smoked fish flavor. You can also try other smoked fish like trout.
Herb Mix
You can add different fresh herbs as a garnish that pairs well with your wine. Its an extra elements of freshness and burst of flavor. Try basil, chives or even tarragon.
Make-Ahead Toppings
This page includes recipes for the lemon blinis and assembly of everything topping it. These are the additional items you will need to make ahead (click on the link to the recipe):
Lemon Blini Base
Ingredients
Method
- Melt butter and set aside for pan.
- Whisk egg whites until soft peaks for, set aside.
- Whisk milk, egg yolk and lemon zest together in medium bowl.
- Add buckwheat flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Fold in egg whites into batter until incorporated.
- Heat up a flat pan or griddle over med-high heat.
- Using a pastry brush, mop a bit of butter on pan to coat.
- Pour 2 tsp of batter on pan to form blini. (Repeat as room allows). Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and let cook 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate to cool. Remop pan with butter and continue to make blinis using the batter.
Notes
- Make the blinis right after you added in the egg whites to keep the batter light and airy
- Once blini are cooked place them on a cake rack to cool completely. Dont stack the blini when hot or they flatten.
- It may take a couple trial blinis to get the pan at the right heat. You can test a small amount of batter first before committing to covering the whole pan.
- Blini can be made in advance. Either the day before (keep them in an airtight container in the fridge) or freeze them! Freeze them first as single layers, then you can wrap in plastic and stack them. I use wax or parchment between layers then wrap with plastic.
Salmon Mousse Crunch Blini Assembly
Ingredients
Method
- Place blinis on tray. Give some room for fingers to pick them up.
- Lightly crush the potato chips to resemble large panko flakes. You want some larger pieces so you get the crunch of it.
- If your salmon mousse is in a large food storage bag (my suggestion) you can warm it up by massaging to make it spreadable. If in a contain, stir it up and then put it in a bag. Push mousse to one corner of bag and clip off a bit of the end to create an opening like a pastry bag. (You can also use a pastry bag, especially if you prefer to use a special tip.)
- Next prepare the sour cream. I like a thick sour cream so I tend to strain it ahead of time. But not necessary. Prepare sour cream by stirring them placing in smaller quart size ziplock bag. Cut very small opening off corner to enable a small amount to dollop with.
- Squeeze salmon mousse to cover inside circle of blini, leaving a small edge around.
- Spoon a generous amount of potato chip crumbs over top of salmon. You can press it in a bit to ensure it is sticking.
- Squeeze small dollop of sour cream in center on top, should look like a small button.
- Place two small cucumber sticks on top of sour cream. Lay a small bit of lacy dill leaf over top
Notes
- You’ll want to serve these pretty quick once all the toppers are on – so the chip crumbs stay crunchy.
- Versioning blinis seem endless and fun to try out. One idea I would try with this pairing would be to have a sweet version with sliced strawberries or raspberries on a dollop of cream fraiche or sweetened sour cream.