Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

Friends of ours hosted our gourmet group's dinner party recently on their rather large and really cool boat- The Whiskey Tango. Usually a breathtaking setting motoring through the harbor and under the Coronado Bridge, it was unfortunately an overcast evening.

It was still an amazing setting... just grey. Fun friends and some good wine made it better.

We brightened up the evening with good gourmet grub. My contribution: Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche.

I started the blinis at home. The batter is whisked together and then given time to rise. Then the blinis are fried up... just like mini pancakes. I wrapped them in foil to keep them warm and transported them to the boat.

I assembled the rest of the appetizer on the boat- just a slice of salmon, a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of fresh dill. The blinis have a slightly sweet flavor that pairs nicely with the rest of the ingredients. You can certainly sub sour cream for the creme fraiche. These were a fresh, unique appetizer that all enjoyed.

The next day, I played around with the leftovers. When I made the blinis, I had kind of a tough time creating nice and perfect little pancakes. I wanted them to be perfect and they just weren't! So I used a scalloped-edge cutter to cut into the cooked pancakes. I think they look cuter, and would plate them up this way if I served them again.


Perfect for a heavy-appetizers party, they were delicious eaten cold. Warm blinis aren't really necessary. This recipe was originally published in Bon Appetit by Dorie Greenspan, and I made a few slight modifications to her recipe.

This recipe can be found HERE.

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