Ingredients

• 225g/4oz buckwheat/wholewheat flour
• 225g/4oz plain flour
• pinch salt
• 2 free-range eggs
• plus 2 free-range egg whites
• 45g/1½oz fresh yeast
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 700ml/1 pint 5fl oz warm milk
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• vegetable oil
• for frying
• 4 red peppers
• roasted
• peeled
• seeds removed
• 225g/4oz soured cream
• 1 tbsp creamed horseradish from a jar
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• 12 black olives
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the blinis
• sift the buckwheat (or wholewheat) flour and plain flour into a bowl and mix with a pinch of salt.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the two whole eggs and one of the egg whites. Whisk from the centre outwards to create a thick paste.
• In a separate bowl
• combine the yeast
• sugar and milk and leave to stand for a couple of minutes.
• Gradually pour the yeast mixture into the flour and egg mixture
• whisking constantly
• to make a smooth batter.
• Add the melted butter and stir well.
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for one hour.
• Just before cooking the blinis
• whisk the remaining egg white in a clean bowl until light
• then fold into the batter.
• Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour enough batter into the pan to make a 10cm/4in diameter blini.
• When bubbles start to appear on the surface of the batter
• turn the blini over and cook the other side.
• Remove the blini from the pan and keep warm while you make the rest of the blinis in the same way.
• For the topping
• slice the roasted red peppers into strips.
• Spoon the soured cream
• horseradish
• tarragon and lemon into a bowl and mix well.
• Spoon one tablespoon of the cream mixture onto each blini and top with some of the red pepper pieces.
• Top each blini with an olive and season with freshly ground black pepper.