Blinis With Caviar and Chives

Having a New Year's Party or entertaining guests and want to make something simple but delicious? These sour cream blinis have a little pop of sour cream in every bite and are paired with a delicious chive and caviar sour cream!

I decided to make these blinis when I had a big tub of sour cream that I had no immediate use for. These are wonderful to feed a crowd because apart from being delicious, they can be served cold and made ahead of time. Plus the caviar makes them a little bit special. These are Russian inspired although I can't say that they're authentically Russian in any way.

Speaking of entertaining, over the Christmas period we've been doing a lot of family catch ups. It was my extended family on Christmas Eve, my immediate family on Christmas Day and then the Elliotts on Boxing Day.

Every year Mr NQN's aunt and uncle Sisko and Seppo generously host Boxing Day lunch for all the families. It can be enormous, some years my family has driven up to the Central Coast for the occasion but this year they stayed in Sydney and looked after Teddy who hates the car.

"Are you ready for my dad?" said Mr NQN to me in the car.

"Whaaaat? You didn't tell me he was coming!" I said, trying to find the easiest and safest way to barrel roll out of the car to avoid seeing Roger.

I find Roger odd at the best of times. He's a bit of a relic of another generation, a hippie one where men were the head of the house where his mind feritilised dreams of leading a cult of women who would dote on his every word and succumb to his lustful dreams. I like to think that he has mellowed somewhat but perhaps that's because I keep him at a safe distance (different countries). The last I heard he had set up sticks in Phuket trying to nab himself a wife that loved him - for him.

I managed to avoid him but once lunch was served he sat down at the big table near us. Although very scrawny he piled his food high on the plate going back for seconds and thirds. I saw him eating with his hands and I asked him why.

With a zen-like calm he said, "Lorraine, my home is in Asia now. They eat with their hands." I have been to Thailand many times and the only time I've seen them use their hands is when eating sticky rice. In fact they usually use a fork and spoon which I said to him. "No Lorraine they use their hands to eat," he insisted. I silently wished him good luck trying to find a woman that loves him for him!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you usually entertain people at your place? Do you find any family members challenging to deal with?

Cultured Sour Cream Blinis With Caviar and Chives

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 1.5 cups flour (can make 1 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup buckwheat flour)
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 300ml/10.6flozs. sour cream, divided in two
• 50g/1.7ozs. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cream or milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 30g/1oz Butter and 2-3 tablespoons oil for frying

• 100g/3.5ozs sour cream

• 1/2 cup finely chopped chives
• 50g/1.7ozs caviar

Step 1 - Beat eggs and 150g/5ozs of the sour cream together in a jug. Place flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg mixture, melted butter, cream and salt and mix to combine (try not to over mix). Add in the remaining 150g/5ozs. sour cream but try not to break it up - you want little lumps of sour cream in every bite. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes and then stir in the baking powder.

Step 2 - Heat a skillet or frypan on medium heat and add a little butter and oil to grease the pan (I like a mix of butter for flavour and oil). Dollop the mixture to make small pikelets. Turn over when bubbles appear on the surface. Repeat with the rest of the batter (this will make a lot, around 40-45).

Step 3 - Place the sour cream in a small bowl and cover with chives and caviar. Serve with the blinis.