Potato Blinis

This recipe is a part of the larger recipe, citrus marinated salmon, although you can make the potato blinis on their own and put any topping of your choice!

This recipe is based off of Thomas Keller's recipe for citrus marinated salmon with potato blinis and garden greens, but I was really short on time.  Thomas Keller recommends boiling the potatoes whole (which probably takes like 35-40 minutes!); removing the skins quickly while the potatoes are hot (ouch!); and then pushing the potatoes through a potato ricer or a sieve.

I only had like 20 minutes to prepare this before guests would start arriving, so there was no way I was going to succeed with that recipe.  Instead, I cut up the potatoes into smaller chunks, microwaved them (~7-8 minutes!), mashed them frantically with a fork, and then proceeded to make the blinis.

I'm sure my potato blinis are more "rustic" and textured, which I personally think gives them charm.  I'm sure they are not as smooth and silky as Thomas Keller's version, but I kind of like my blinis sorts of chunky.  And best yet, I was able to finish the blinis in time for my arriving guests!

Potato Blinis
Makes about 12 small blinis

Ingredients
2 potatoes (ideally baking potatoes, like Russett)
2 eggs
2 T all purpose flour
1 egg white (optional)
2 T heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut them up into smaller sizes (1 inch slices). Note - Peeling is optional. I did not peel beforehand, so my blinis had that rustic look with peels included!  Cook potatoes in the microwave until done (around 7-8 minutes).  Mash the potatoes roughly with a fork and then add the flour.  Continue folding in the ingredients, adding the cream, and then eggs, and finally salt and pepper.

Form 2 inch diameter circles (this is flexible - it's all up to how big you want your blinis to be) with the potato mixture and cook on a griddle or a saute pan as you would pancakes (I used about medium heat with about 1-2 T of vegetable oil).  Flip over after they are browned on one side, about 2 minutes, and cook the other side.

Once complete, finish off by adding toppings of your choice, such as citrus marinated salmon and garden greens with citrus vinaigrette!

Enjoy!