Gluten-Free Smoked Salmon Blinis
Delicate gluten-free blinis topped with herb-infused crème fraîche and smoked salmon. These tender pancakes start with a gluten-free flour blend, served chilled with a citrus-enhanced cream and fresh chives. A sophisticated appetizer or light meal requiring advance preparation of the cream component.
Ingredients
- ¾ cups gluten-free flour and starch blend (Tipiak brand)
- ½ packet gluten-free baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- 8 ½ tbsp milk
- 3 ½ oz crème fraîche, thicksour cream1:1dairyadds dairy
tanginess slightly different
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon heaped chives, chopped
- 5 ½ oz smoked salmon
- oil for cooking
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the cream by mixing crème fraîche with lemon juice and chives, season, and refrigerate for 1 hour until thickened.
- 2
Combine gluten-free flour blend with gluten-free baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- 3
Whisk in eggs and milk until smooth, reducing milk to 100 ml if thicker blinis are desired.
- 4
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- 5
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the skillet.
- 6
Flip blinis when edges lift and surface begins to puff.
- 7
Cook briefly on the second side until set.
- 8
Cut smoked salmon into strips.
- 9
Top each blini with a dollop of chive cream and a roll of smoked salmon.
Tips
Prepare the cream at least 1 hour ahead to allow proper thickening and flavor development.
Reduce milk to 100 ml if you prefer thicker, denser blinis.
Watch for edges lifting and surface puffing as the signal to flip—overcooking the first side makes flipping difficult.
Good to Know
Blinis best served immediately after cooking. Leftover blinis may be refrigerated up to 2 days and gently reheated; cream should be stored separately.
Prepare chive cream up to 1 day ahead. Blini batter can be mixed up to 2 hours in advance; cook just before serving.
Serve blinis warm or at room temperature topped with chilled herb cream and smoked salmon as an appetizer or light brunch dish.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the 1-hour refrigeration of the cream to avoid a thin, runny topping that slides off.
Do not overcrowd the skillet to avoid unevenly cooked blinis and difficulty flipping.
Do not reduce batter consistency further than specified to avoid blinis that don't hold together when flipped.