Beetroot blinis with garlicky mushrooms recipe

Homemade beetroot blinis with garlicky mushrooms are really worth the effort. The fluffy blinis work perfectly with the earthy beetroot and meaty mushrooms, and the sprig of dill is a festive finishing touch.

Looking for another bitesized, tasty treat to serve at your party? Why not serve our delicious vol-au-vents!

Ingredients

For the blinis:

• 150g buckwheat flour
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast
• 250ml milk, warmed to blood temperature
• 2 free range eggs, beaten
• 25g butter, melted, for frying

For the topping:

• 150g vacuum-packed beetroot
• 3tbsp creme fraiche
• 125g ricotta
• Small bunch dill, half roughly chopped
• 40g butter
• 250g button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Method

1. In a bowl, whisk together all the blini ingredients until smooth. Leave in a warm place for 30 mins until frothy. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, brush with the melted butter and drop teaspoonfuls of batter into the pan, spacing 5cm apart, and cook for about 1 1/2 mins, before turning and cooking for another minute. Cook in batches until the batter has been used.
2. In a food processor, whizz beetroot, creme fraiche and ricotta until coarse. Season well, stir in the chopped dill and chill until required.
3. Melt butter in a large frying pan, add mushrooms and garlic and fry until deep golden.
4. To serve, put the blinis on a platter, spread with a teaspoonful of beetroot mix, add a few mushrooms and garnish with a small sprig of dill.