Hot smoked salmon blinis

Hot and spicy little blinis with horseradish cream and flaked smoked salmon.

Top-down view of salmon blinis with garnish
By Saga Magazine | Published - 11 Nov 2025
Share this page on Facebook Share this page on X Share this page on Pinterest Share this page via e-mail
Prep time
30 mins
Cooking Time
15 mins
Serves
20

Ingredients

  • 100g buckwheat flour
  • 60g strong white bread flour
  • 1¼ tsp salt
  • 7g fast action dried yeast
  • 310g crème fraîche
  • 180ml milk
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 tbsp creamed horseradish sauce
  • ½ cucumber, halved lengthways
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1-2 tsp unsalted butter
  • 3 x 150g packs kiln roasted salmon, flaked
  • Small handful dill fronds, to serve

Method

  1. Sieve the flours and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl; stir in the yeast. Put 140g crème fraîche and the milk in a pan over a medium heat.
  2. Stir until warm but not hot, remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks until smooth.
  3. Add to the flour mixture and mix into a thick, wet batter. Cover with a clean tea towel; leave to rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until bubbly.
  4. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold into the batter. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining 170g crème fraîche with the horseradish; set aside.
  6. Thinly slice the cucumber, transfer to a bowl and mix with the vinegar, honey and the remaining ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
  7. Put a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat and add ½ tsp butter. Once the pan is very hot, dollop in 2 tbsp batter per blini, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.
  8. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until just set and golden on the base, then flip over and fry for another 30-40 seconds until golden.
  9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and continue with the remaining batter, wiping the pan clean and adding more butter for each batch.
  10. To serve, dollop 2 tsp horseradish cream on each blini and top with some salmon, some cucumber and a little dill. Season and serve immediately.

Recipe and image courtesy of Waitrose & Partners.

Related articles
Hairy Bikers' corned beef hash
The Hairy Bikers’ corned beef hash
Mary Berry's puy lentil and pearl barley soup
Mary Berry’s puy lentil and pearl barley soup
Roast hasselback potato
Roast hasselback potatoes
Bread, cheese and wine on a wooden board
Love food and wine?

Find out about Saga's gastronomy holidays here...

They say the way to the heart is through the stomach, and Saga’s thoughtfully crafted food and wine holidays are perfect if you like trying new flavours and exploring traditional methods of cooking.

Find out more
four bottles of wine and glass being poured
Wine for sharing good times

Enjoy the long weekend with a 4-bottle case of hand-picked wines from Vintage by Saga - just £15.96. Perfect for long lunches, garden gatherings and relaxed evenings.

Find out more

Related articles

Mature man in a kitchen, holding the lid of a pot with steam billowing up in front
The foods you should “never” reheat – and why the rules aren’t as strict as you think

From rice to roast chicken, there’s a lot of confusing advice about leftover food. We asked the experts to separate fact from fiction.

An older persons hands making a cup of tea
Why you should never squeeze your teabag – and other golden tea-making rules

Want to make the perfect brew? Then follow these expert tips

Young man and his senior father going through shopping list while buying in supermarket
How to save money on your food shop – without noticing the difference

We’ve found the best money-saving alternatives to some of the most popular branded products. 

potatoes and onions being stored together
The foods you must never store together
We've got the 5 common food pairs to always store apart.
Chinese peking duck wrapped in pancakes with cucumber, spring onions and hoisin sauce
How to cook Chinese food in an air fryer - with 3 easy recipes to try

We've got expert advice on how to cook up a feast in your air fryer in minutes.

A person putting tomatoes away - but should tomatoes be stored in the fridge? | GettyLiudmila Chernetska
Don’t store these 7 foods in the fridge

These foods will lose flavour and freshness if you store them in the fridge.

A man wearing an apron pours white wine from a glass into a pan of food, with various vegetables on the worktop
Diana Henry's tips for cooking with alcohol
If you've got leftover sherry, vermouth or limoncello, the food writer shares her advice on how to use alcohol in your cooking.
Close-up of a barista pouring frothed milk into a coffee mug in front of a large coffee machine
The secrets of cafe-quality coffee (and it’s not just about the machine)
We quizzed the experts on why a barista brew always tastes so good – and got some insider tips on how to recreate it at home.
Hand swirling a glass of red wine on a blurred background of a wine cellar
The best low alcohol wines offering great taste without the headache
Want to take a break from booze? From low-alcohol Tempranillo to 0% aperitifs, our expert has the best on offer.
Celebrating
years of Saga