By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 48
25 cal · 50 min
Chive Blini with Crème Fraîche, Quail Eggs, and Tarragon
Recipe GLPRf9df2be4342914
Delicate Russian-style chive pancakes topped with cool crème fraîche, tender soft-cooked quail eggs, fresh tarragon, and bright fish roe. These elegant appetizers feature tender blini infused with fresh chives, finished with aromatic tarragon and creamy accompaniments for a refined Eastern European-inspired dish.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
3 bunches fresh tarragon
Coarse salt
6 scallions, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup crème fraîche
24 quail eggs
2 ounces chive blini (small Russian pancakes)
2 ounces trout or salmon roe
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and carefully add the quail eggs. Cook for exactly 3 minutes, then immediately transfer to an ice bath. Once cooled, peel the eggs carefully under cool running water, leaving them whole with soft-cooked centers.
Mince half of the fresh tarragon leaves and reserve the remaining sprigs for garnish.
In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche, minced tarragon, Dijon mustard, chopped scallions, and a pinch of coarse salt. Mix gently until well combined.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Pan-fry the chive blini in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Season lightly with coarse salt while still warm.
Arrange each warm blini on a serving platter and top with a small spoonful of the tarragon crème fraîche mixture.
Place one soft-cooked quail egg on top of each blini, then add a small dollop of the remaining crème fraîche mixture.
Top each blini with a few pearls of trout or salmon roe and garnish with a fresh tarragon sprig. Serve immediately while the blini are still warm.
Comments
This is an appetizer that demands ingredient hunting in Charlotte: quail eggs and fish roe will require a trip to Harris Teeter's specialty section or Publix, while blini are not standard at most locations and may force a second stop at an international or specialty grocer. The crème fraîche and Dijon are readily available, but at $8–12 for the quail eggs and $10–15 for decent roe, you're looking at $25–35 before the other components, pushing cost per serving to $0.50–$0.70 for just the protein toppings on what is an hors d'oeuvre, not a meal. The stated 50 minutes ignores that you need to either make blini from scratch (add 30–45 minutes) or source pre-made ones, which narrows availability further. This works beautifully for a small dinner party where you want to impress and the cost per guest matters less than the occasion, but it is not a casual weeknight cook.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
