Georgina Hayden’s build your own blinis recipe
Each topping enough for 16 blinis
For wasabi cream cheese, smoked salmon, shiso cress
cream cheese 175g
wasabi paste 1 tsp
lemon zest and juice of 1
cucumber ¼, finely sliced
smoked salmon 4 slices, each cut into 4
salmon eggs a few tbsp, optional
cress a handful
For garlic and herb mayonnaise, soft boiled egg, olive oil crisps
mayonnaise 150g
garlic 1 small clove, peeled and finely grated
dijon mustard 1 tsp
soft herbs ½ bunch, mixed, such as parsley, chives, mint, finely chopped
eggs 4 large, room temperature
crisps small bags of olive oil, truffle, or vinegar flavoured
For creamed feta, piri piri prawns, lemon and parsley
raw king prawns 16, peeled
sweet smoked paprika 1 tsp
dried oregano ½ tsp
dried red chilli flakes ½ tsp
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and finely grated
lemon zest and juice of 1
feta 200g
Greek yoghurt 5 tbsp
olive oil
flat-leaf parsley a few sprigs, leaves picked
For the wasabi cream cheese and smoked salmon topping, in a small mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese with ¾ of a teaspoon of the wasabi paste and half of the lemon juice. Taste, adjust the seasoning to your liking, adding more wasabi if you want more of a punch. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the mixture on to each blini, then a slice of cucumber, then top with a bite-sized piece of smoked salmon, a few salmon eggs if you are using them and a piece of cress. Squeeze the remaining lemon over all the blinis just before serving.
For the egg and mayonnaise topping, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Mix together the mayonnaise, grated garlic and the mustard. Beat together well, then stir in the chopped herbs. When the pan of water is boiling, pop in the eggs and boil for 7 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into cold water. When they are cool enough, peel off the shells and place on kitchen paper so they are completely dry. Cut each egg into quarters and season. Top each blini with a heaped teaspoon of the herby mayonnaise, a ¼ of an egg and finished with a crisp or two.
For the feta and prawn topping, place the prawns in a mixing bowl and sprinkle over the sweet smoked paprika, dried oregano, chilli flakes, grated garlic and lemon zest. Pour over 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix together well until all coated. You can cook the prawns straight away, or you can marinate, covered, in the fridge. Leave them for a good few hours if you can.
Blitz the feta, 4 tablespoons of the Greek yoghurt and half of the lemon juice in a food processor until smooth (don’t use a blender, as the mixture will become liquid, you want to create a paste). Add the remaining tablespoon of Greek yoghurt if it is still a little thick. Cook the prawns by placing a large frying pan on a high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through and golden all over. Leave to cool a little. Serve by spooning a heaped teaspoon of the feta mixture on to each blini, and topping with a prawn, the grated lemon zest and a leaf or two of parsley.
Georgina Hayden’s latest book is Greekish (Bloomsbury, £26)
The Observer aims to publish recipes for fish and seafood rated as sustainable by the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide
