Pea Blini with Smoked Trout

This is a very pretty little canapé. The pink trout looks very appetising on the bright green pea blini and the sugar snap peas add some lovely crunch. They are always popular when I make them. I hope you like them too.

Have a look at the smoked trout salad recipe as well. It is a great make ahead dish for lazy summer lunches.

Ingredients for the blini - makes approximately 30

100g cooked peas (fresh or frozen)

60 ml single cream

0.5 tbsp chopped parsley

0.5 tbsp chopped chives

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp grape seed oil

Seasoning

For the topping

3 tbsp creme fraiche

0.5 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

1 small hot smoked trout

10 sugar snap peas

Salt and pepper

Micro herbs to decorate (if available)

More oil to cook

Method

Liquidise the cooked peas with the cream until smooth.

Add the herbs, egg, flour, grape seed oil and seasoning and liquidise until mixed.

To cook either: Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Measure teaspoons of batter into the hot pan, pour them slowly so they don’t spread too wide. Add a little more batter to the setting blinis to make them a little thicker. When this has set, flip them over and cook until golden brown both sides.

Cool on kitchen paper. The blini can be used as they are or the shape can be evened up with a small cutter. The cooled blini can be frozen.

Or: Use a silicon mini muffin sheet. Heat oven to 180°. Lightly grease and place the silicon sheet on a baking tray. Spoon approximately 1.5 tsp of the pea batter in each muffin shape. Cook for 15 minutes until the blini are just beginning to turn golden. Cool on a rack.

To serve (can be done several hours ahead). Mix the lemon juice with the creme fraîche and put a blob on each blini.

Flake the trout and put a couple of flakes on top of the creme fraîche. Season.

Top with a slice of sugar snap and serve or refrigerate, lightly covered with damp kitchen paper, until required. Decorate with micro herbs if available.

Smoked trout salad

Ingredients - serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

125g pack hot smoked trout

300g small new potatoes

100g asparagus

100g sugar snap peas

Pea shoots

Mustard seeds

For the dressing:

1 tbsp hot horseradish

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp creme fraîche

Zest and juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Seasoning

Method

Halve the potatoes if large and cook until tender. Plunge into cold water to cool. Pat dry.

Steam the asparagus for approximately 2 minutes. Cool quickly in icy water. Pat dry.

Cut the sugar snap peas diagonally across.

Combine all the dressing ingredients.

Put all the salad ingredients on 2/4 plates. Flake over the trout. Sprinkle with the mustard seeds. Drizzle over the dressing and place some pea shoots on top.