Blini are known round the world as a delicacy or the
perfect compliment to gourmet caviar. The French refer
to blini as hors d'oeuvres and prefer to top them with a
dollop of creme fraiche or fine caviar. The Russians
prefer blini topped with butter, sour cream, caviar, and
a variety of fish including sturgeon, lox and salmon.
According to the Internet site bestofrussia.ca/food.html,
making blini was "a real sacred mystery. People told
fortunes on the dough. They kept their recipes of blini
in secret. The first blini were put on the windowsills
for poor people and pilgrims. Foreigners were very
surprised at how many blini Russians could eat. The most
popular blini are made from buckwheat flour. Good blini
are thin. The thinner the blini, the better the skill
is."
Locally, members of the 'O' Club at Elevation of the
Holy Cross Eastern Orthodox Church, in Hackettstown held
their traditional all-you-can-eat Blini Brunch on March
13.
Maxine Kassatkin, wife of Holy Cross Archpriest John
C. Kassatkin, prepared the vat of blini batter the night
before for the brunch. The actual skillet-frying of the
crepe-like blini was done about 30 minutes before
serving time with the help of church members Yelena
Cheban and Pearl Exton.
Maxine Kassatkin says her batter ingredients included
25 pounds of flour, 1 pound of yeast, about 6 gallons of
milk, and three to four dozen eggs. She figured her
guest count at approximately 90 dinners served, with at
least five blini per plate, plus extra blini for
takeout.
According to Kassatkin, her husband makes the
traditional trip each year to the Brooklyn fish market
for caviar, smelts and smoked salmon which he prepares
for blini toppings which include sour cream, smoked lox,
pickled herring and caviar.
She explained that fasting ends on May 1, when Easter
baskets of church members containing such foods as
kielbasa, paska (bread), and colored eggs will be
blessed following the liturgy and brought home for
holiday feasting. Her own Easter basket, she says, will
be covered by a scarf embroidered by her husband's
grandmother some 80 years ago.
Kassatkin, calling herself "Matushka," Russian for
"Little Mother," says she and her husband started the
brunch at Holy Cross when he was assigned as its pastor
in May 1982. He had temporarily served as a supply
priest following ordination for parishes in Northern New
Jersey as well as in the Philadelphia area.
( ( (
The following blini recipe suggests warming the eggs,
which allows them to accommodate more air when beaten.
This makes for a lighter batter.
BLINI
2 eggs
( cup potato starch
( cup all-purpose flour
1 ( teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
( cup milk, warmed
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
About 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Making the batter:
Place the eggs in a bowl of warm water and set aside for
about 5 minutes. Combine the potato starch, flour,
baking powder and salt in another bowl.
Beat the eggs with the milk in the bowl of an
electric mixer until almost doubled in volume. Add the
butter, then, with the mixer running, add the dry
ingredients. Allow the batter to rest at room
temperature for about 20 minutes.
Making the blini:
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add just enough
oil to coat the surface. Add 2 tablespoons of the
batter, swirling it to spread it, and cook until the top
is bubbly and the bottom lightly browned, about 2
minutes. Flip the blini over and cook until the second
side is golden, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the
blini to a plate and cover with a clean towel to keep
warm. Continue cooking blini until all of the batter has
been used. Serve warm.
Makes about 16.
Source: "The Anatomy of a Dish" by Diane Forley ($35
Artisan) Susan Kalan is assistant features editor for
The Express-Times. She can be reached at 610-258-7171 or
by e-mail at
skalan@express-times.com.