Equipment
Ingredients
Dairy Base
- 150 g plain greek yogurt, chilled
Garnishes
- 1 red onion, minced
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
- 10 g fresh chives, finely snipped
Caviar
- 50 g lumpfish caviar, chilled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 27 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 1 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 63 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 45 mg
- Potassium
- 35 mg
- Calcium
- 26 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 40 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 33 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 17 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Finely chop the hard-boiled eggs, keeping the pieces as uniform as possible. Mince the red onion and finely snip the fresh chives. Place each prepared garnish into its own small bowl.
Lay your prepared blini flat on a serving platter. Dollop approximately 10 grams of the chilled Greek yogurt onto the center of each blini, leaving a small border around the edges.
Sprinkle the finely chopped egg, minced red onion, and snipped chives evenly over the yogurt layer on each blini.
Using a non-metallic spoon, carefully scoop a small mound of lumpfish caviar and place it at the very top center of each garnished blini. Serve immediately while chilled.
Chef's Notes
- Using a non-metallic spoon, such as mother-of-pearl, wood, or plastic, is strictly necessary for the caviar to prevent a harsh metallic flavor from transferring to the delicate roe.
- Rinsing minced red onion under cold water removes the sulfurous compounds that cause a harsh bite, allowing the onion to provide a sweet crunch that complements rather than masks the fish.
- For the cleanest visual presentation, wipe your knife between chopping the egg whites and the egg yolks to keep the colors distinct and vibrant.
- Substituting standard sour cream with Greek yogurt adds a boost of protein and lowers the fat content, while still providing the necessary acidic tang to cut through the richness of the egg and caviar.
Storage
Refrigerator: 12 hours — Store ingredients separately. Assembled blini should be eaten immediately.
Troubleshooting
Yogurt base is too watery and runs off the blini
Cause: Yogurt was not strained or liquid separated during storage
Fix: Dab excess liquid from the blini carefully with a paper towel. Whisk a small amount of cream cheese into the remaining yogurt to stabilize it
Prevention: Use thick Greek yogurt or strain regular yogurt through cheesecloth for 2 hours before using
Red onion flavor overpowers the delicate caviar
Cause: Onion was too pungent or cut too thick
Fix: Cannot be fixed once assembled. Use less onion on remaining blini
Prevention: Mince the onion very finely and rinse it under cold running water for 10 seconds, then pat dry before using
Cultural Context
In Russian culinary tradition, blini are often served as zakuski, or hors d'oeuvres, meant to be paired with vodka and lively conversation. They are historically laden with rich smetana and cured fish or roe. Substituting Greek yogurt provides a modern, lighter canvas that honors the original flavor profile, allowing the briny pop of the lumpfish caviar to shine while keeping the dish refreshing.
