New Year's Eve Blini

Preparation

Need a simple yet striking way to elevate the New Year’s Eve table? Make this festive appetizer. Blini are small, yeast-raised pancakes, traditionally served with a creamy base like crème fraîche or sour cream and adorned with caviar or smoked salmon. This recipe yields two versions: caviar-topped blini with crispy onions and chives, and smoked salmon with dill and a sprinkle of sweet and juicy pomegranate seeds. Pro tip: Flip the blini with a fish spatula; its thin edge slips easily between the delicate blinis and the pan.

*This recipe originally ran in the United Kingdom on HexClad.uk.

1. Make the blinis:Heat milk in a HexClad 2QT/2 L Hybrid Saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just steaming (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Let the milk cool to 110°F/44°C, about 2 minutes. Whisk in yeast. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center; pour egg yolks and milk mixture into the well, and gradually stir in the flour mixture until a thick batter forms. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let stand until batter puffs and surface is bubbly, about 1 hour.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until firm enough to hold soft peaks, 2 minutes with an electric mixer or 4 minutes by hand. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whites into the batter. Repeat with remaining whites, being careful not to overmix. 
4. Lightly coat a HexClad 12"/30 cm Hybrid Fry Pan with 1 teaspoon of the oil and set over medium heat. Working in batches of 8, spoon small (2-inches/5-centimeter wide) puddles of batter into the pan, pointing the spoon tip down and leaving space for blinis to spread. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, adjust heat to medium-low as needed to prevent over-browning, until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden. Flip and cook until golden on other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter, coating the pan with more oil as needed.
5. Add the smoked-salmon pomegranate topping: In a small bowl, mix crème fraîche with horseradish, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Dollop 18 of the blini with crème fraîche mixture. Fold or curl salmon and arrange on top of crème fraîche. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, and garnish with dill and freshly ground black pepper. 
6. Add the caviar-crispy onion topping: Dollop remaining 18 blini with crème fraîche; flatten dollops slightly with the back of a spoon. Top each with caviar (about ½ teaspoon) and garnish with chives and crispy onions.