Hold the Maple Syrup: These are Bliny

At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about bliny, the pancake-like Russian delicacy. After all, they’re only fried batter. But like that proverbial first flapjack, one must cast aside such first impressions in order to discover the refined subtleties of one of Russia’s most beloved and soulful repasts.

The origins of bliny are obscured in mystery and legend, but we do know that the ancient Slavic tribes were well acquainted with them. These pagan ancestors of the Russians attributed magical properties to bliny and used them in their rituals. The round crisp blin was for them a symbol of the sun and warm days, of health and happiness. They were served both to expectant mothers to insure a healthy baby, and at funerals to fortify the next of kin.

Bliny are integrally linked with one of the eastern Slavs’ most lively festivals — Maslenitsa — an exuberant late-February farewell to winter, where Russians make merry and gorge themselves on bliny.

Russian legend tells of a chance encounter, some thousand years ago, between a peasant man and the deity Maslenitsa, daughter of Frost. The man was surprised to find that the offspring of this forbidding parent was actually a merry and ruddy beauty. He beseeched her to return to his village, where his people were hunkered down for the harsh winter. Maslenitsa brought  warmth and inspiration to the villagers; who laughed and danced till they dropped. When it came time for her to go, the villagers again despaired of the cold.

“Does this mean we will freeze again without you?” they asked.

Maslenitsa advised them to make little suns out of cooked batter. In eating these, she promised, the spring sun would not leave them. Ever since, Russians have honored her through festival.

Each day of Maslenitsa has its own name. Wednesday, for instance is called lakomka (gourmand). On this day, mothers once invited their daughters and sons-in-law over for bliny, and then doled out parental advice as liberally as the main course. This custom survived until the 1930s, and even now the expression “to go to your mother-in-law’s for bliny” is still heard. 

In Russia it was always thought that making bliny was a routine affair. Inability to do so was considered shameful for a peasant housewife. Parents would caution lazy daughters with the words: “Who’s going to marry you if you can’t even make bliny?”

However, the making of bliny is a deceptively subtle process. For example, the first blin is almost always a kom: a pale, thick, unappetizing lump. There is even a saying to this effect, meaning that often things don’t turn out right first time around. But the first blin has a decisive role in the process. It is an indicator of how much batter to pour onto the pan, and how long to cook each blin. 

Preparing bliny takes a lot of time, so they are better made during weekends or holidays, when the whole family can pitch in.

For thin, crisp, succulent bliny, you need a small frying pan with a thick bottom — bliny are normally the size of saucers. First warm the pan and grease it well with butter to prevent scorching. Frying pans which have never been used to make bliny should be carefully washed and rubbed with salt. Pour a thin layer of batter onto the frying pan, then in a few minutes turn the blin over when it’s golden brown.

Bliny are served hot, preferably straight from the frying pan. They must in no circumstances be eaten in a hurry. As in the preparation, dining on bliny is an art in itself. Adults eat them with vodka, caviar and red fish, children with jam and milk. If you like, you can serve them with salads, mushrooms, meat or sweetmeats. It’s entirely up to you. There’s only one condition: Don’t hurry. Only then will you enjoy a genuine taste of Russian bliny.

— Yelena Utenkova

Blini

Ingredients

2 lb. flour

24 fl oz milk

3 tbs. butter or vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tbs. sugar

1.5 tsp. salt

1.5 oz yeast

Pour 12 ounces of warm water into a bowl, sprinkle on the yeast and a pound of flour, mix thoroughly, cover and leave in a warm place for about an hour. When the mix starts to rise, add salt, sugar, egg yolks, and melted butter or vegetable oil; mix and add the remaining flour, mixing thoroughly with the dough so that there are no lumps.

Then thin out the batter with warm milk, pouring it in gradually by the glass, each time mixing the batter. Cover the bowl containing the batter and put in a warm place. When the batter rises again, you have to mix it in order for it to settle again, put it back in a warm place, and allow it to rise and settle again, adding whipped egg white.

You should start making the bliny as soon as the batter rises. For the bliny to turn out well, the batter must rise at least twice.