Classic Caviar Blinis

The blini and caviar combination is one of the most enduring in food for good reason. A warm, slightly tangy buckwheat blini provides the perfect neutral platform for caviar — substantial enough to carry a generous serving, subtle enough not to compete with the caviar’s flavour. This is the serve that has anchored caviar culture for two centuries. New to caviar? Read our complete guide to caviar types or our how to eat caviar guide before you start.

Serves: 4 as canapés | Time: 15 minutes | Difficulty: Very easy

Ingredients

12 small blinis (Caviar Bar Blinis £4.95)
20–30g caviar of your choice — Royal Baerii, Oscietra or Royal Beluga
100ml crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tbsp chives, very finely chopped
Optional: finely minced shallot, finely grated lemon zest

Method

Warm the blinis. Place in a dry frying pan over low heat for 30 seconds each side, or wrap in foil and heat in the oven at 150°C for 5 minutes. They should be warm and slightly pliable — not hot, not cold.
Place a small, neat spoonful of crème fraîche on each blini — about half a teaspoon. Use the back of the spoon to spread it into a gentle circle leaving a small border.
Using a mother-of-pearl spoon, place a generous half-teaspoon of caviar on the crème fraîche. Work deliberately — this is a moment for care and precision.
Finish with a small pinch of chives. Serve within five minutes of assembling.

Which Caviar to Use

Royal Baerii is the ideal choice for a first-time blini experience — its clean, direct flavour is immediately appealing and the relatively modest price allows generous serving without anxiety.

Oscietra elevates the serve significantly. Its nuttiness pairs particularly well with crème fraîche, and the golden-brown colour against the white cream and green chives is visually striking.

For a special occasion, Royal Beluga on warm blinis is a genuinely transcendent experience.

Quantities for a Party

For canapés: allow 3–4 blinis per person, 2–3g of caviar per blini. A 30g tin serves approximately 10–12 canapés. For a drinks reception of 8–10 people, 60g of caviar is a generous amount.