Flash in the Pan

One of my kids had to do a report on Romania, including bringing some "authentic" food into school. Unfortuantely, I couldn't find an appropriate recipe in our extensive cookbook research library. My son found a web site with a collection of Romanian recipes but decided on what turned out to be an apple souffle, which isn't the sort of food that travels or reheats well. So instead, I looked on the same site and came across a recipe for potato blini. The results are like potato pancakes, but a bit lighter. Unfortunately, I didn't find it complete or really useful for those without significant experience with doughs, so here's my adaptation with fuller instructions:

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Russet potatoes


• 1/2 cup milk at 100˚F to 105˚F


• 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) dried yeast


• 1/2 to 1 1/4 cups bread flour


• 1 TB. sugar


• 3/4 tsp. salt


• 1/2 cup vegetable oil


• sour cream

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes and finely grate. Texture should be of wet potato mush.


2. Sprinkle dried yeast onto surface of milk and then stir until yeast dissolves.


3. In large bowl, sift 1/2 cup flour, sugar, and salt together. Add milk and grated potato and thoroughly mix.


4. Add additional flour and mix until mixture is thick but not stiff, with the consistency of pancake batter.


5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 to 60 minutes. Do not deflate batter.


6. Heat oil in 10-inch pan over high heat. Add single tablespoons of batter to pan and fry until golden brown on the first side. Turn blini and brown on other, and then drain on paper towel.


7. Continuing adding tablespoons of batter to make additional blini until you've gone through all the batter. Serve hot with sour cream.

Serves 10 as an appetizer or side dish.

Labels: blini, pancakes, potato, recipe, Romania, Romanian