Handy Hints for
Barbecue Grilling:
· Be organised: have everything you need ready and at hand
before you start grilling - Go through your food plan; think food
ingredients, marinades, seasonings, equipment and tools. Cover
food to protect against flies and sun.
· Don't use a fork and never stab the food when turningit
is best to use a pair of tongs to grip and turn. When you stab
the meat with a fork, you will allow tasty juices to drain away
into the fire which then can spit and develop aggressive flames.
· Food cooks faster under a covered grill
· You don't need to marinate tender cuts of meat overnight;
they can be marinated in as little as 15 minutes! Less tender
meats need to be marinated at least 6 hours.
· If using wooden skewers, soak in water thirty minutes
before using so ends won't burn during grilling time.
Smoked Salmon One-Bite Burgers on Blini
Thanks
to Weber Barbecues
These unbelievably
delicious appetizers are worth the extra effort.
For the blini:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons buckwheat flour
1 package active dry yeast
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/2 cups warm milk (105°F/41°C to 115°F/46°C)
3 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 tablespoon salt
Vegetable oil for brushing griddle
For the salmon burgers:
1-1/2 pounds skinless salmon
1/2 pound skinless smoked salmon
4 tablespoons snipped chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch salt
Nonstick cooking spray for spraying patties
Dill mustard
To make the blini: In a large bowl combine flours, yeast, and
sugar. Add milk and beat until batter is smooth. Cover and let
rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until double in size.
Add egg yolks, butter,
sour cream, and salt; mix thoroughly. In a small bowl beat egg
whites until medium peaks form; fold into batter.
Heat lightly oiled
griddle over medium-high heat. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter onto
hot griddle, making several blini at a time. Cook until tops are
bubbly and bubbles burst; turn and cook second side until golden.
Keep warm.
To make the salmon
burgers: Cut the fresh and smoked salmon into very small pieces.
In a blender or food processor, pulse together, in batches, about
10 to 15 seconds each, until blended. Combine ground salmon, chives,
lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt; mix lightly.
Line a tray with waxed
paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Shape salmon mixture
into 32 two-inch diameter patties and place on waxed paper. Spray
tops of burgers with cooking spray. Cover with waxed paper and
place in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Use a spatula to transfer
and arrange patties carefully on cooking grate. Grill 4 to 5 minutes
for medium (160°F/60°C), turning once two-thirds through
grilling time.
To make the appetizers,
top each blini with a smoked salmon burger and a dollop of dill
mustard.
Makes 16 servings
Note: For a quick additional
appetizer, you can top any extra blini with sour cream and caviar
or sour cream and fruit preserves.
Wine suggestion
Don't hold back: try a brut sparkling wine from Napa. You'll love
what the golden bubbles do for the salmon.
