Recipe: Richard Corrigan’s Smoked Salmon Blinis

Easy to rustle up in volume, and the perfect appetiser to enjoy alongside a glass of champagne, smoked salmon blinis are the queen of the canape tray. They’re simple to make – but you need to get the quantities right, so chef Richard Corrigan is here to help with a recipe, made with buttery mashed potato, crème fraîche and smoked salmon. Fun fact: he served these to the late Queen Elizabeth II on her 80th birthday. Whizz up a load ahead of your Christmas party.

Richard Corrigan’s Smoked Salmon Blinis

Makes 20 blinis 

Ingredients:

• 85g of plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 150ml of milk
• 115g of mashed potato, warm
• 25g of cream cheese, preferably St Killian
• Clarified butter, or vegetable oil
• Smoked salmon, to serve 
• Lemon 
• Crème fraiche, to serve 

Method:

1. To make the blinis, place the flour in a bowl with the salt and nutmeg. Stir in the egg and egg yolk, then whisk in the milk until the mix is smooth.
2. Ensuring the potato is free from lumps, add to a pan or microwave and gently warm through. Fold the warm potato and the cream cheese into the batter to combine, cover and leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
3. To cook the blinis, add a dash of clarified butter or vegetable oil to a non-stick pan. Place on a medium heat and add a level tablespoon of the batter to the pan for each blini. Cook until golden on the bottom, then carefully turn over and cook to achieve a uniform colour all over
4. Remove the blinis from the pan and place on the kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.
5. Serve with a generous portion of smoked salmon, half a lemon and a dollop of crème fraiche.