For the Blini Batter

• 100 g (4 oz/¾ cup) pitted black olives
• 50 g (2 oz/⅓ cup) buckwheat flour (organic store)
• 50 g (approx. 2 oz/⅓ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 egg
• 1 sachet dried yeast (7 g/¼ oz/2¼ tsp)
• 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) lukewarm semi-skim milk

For the Filling

• 1 small beetroot (beet), parboiled
• 100 ml (approx. 3 fl oz/½ cup) raspberry vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 100 g (4 oz/⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) mascarpone
• 100 g (4 oz) smoked salmon

And also

• butter or oil for frying

Grind the olives in a food processor. Add all of the flours, egg and yeast. Fold in the milk in a trickle while stirring.

Add a pinch of salt. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

Cut or slice the beetroot in very fine slices. Collect the red juice, by cutting it over a bowl. Combine the vinegar and honey, season with salt and pepper and pour over the beetroot slices. Set aside.

Stir the collected red juice into the mascarpone and season the cream with salt and pepper. Heat a pancake griddle, butter the cavities and pour a spoonful of batter into each cavity. If you don’t own a pancake griddle you can also pour small spoonfuls into a shallow frying pan. You may find it easiest with a squeeze bottle if you have one available. Cook until slightly risen and done in a few minutes.

Cover the blinis with a layer of pink cream, a slice of salmon and a slice of beetroot.