YIELD
Makes about 24 blintzes
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons corn oil divided
1 pint sour cream
Fresh chives finely chopped, for garnish
Batter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour measured, then sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chives finely chopped
Filling
16 ounces dry curd cottage cheese
16 ounces small curd cottage cheese
3 egg yokes
about 1 1/2 teaspoons Zest of 1 lemon
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
1/2 pound sliced Nova Scotia lox finely diced
INSTRUCTIONS:
Resift the four with the salt, baking powder, and pepper into a large bowl. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, and then add the milk, water, and chives. Make a well in the sifted ingredients, pour in the liquid ingredients, and combine with a few swift strokes. Ignore the lumps they will dissolve when you stir the batter before making the crepes. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
While the batter is resting make the filling. In the workbowl of a food processor combine the two types of cottage cheese, the egg yolks, lemon zest, and pepper. Process for one minute. Remove to a medium-sized bowl and gently stir in the lox and chives. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Using a 5 to 6-inch crepe pan make the crepes. Allow about 3 tablespoons of batter per crepe. Have the pan well-heated before beginning. Using about 2 tablespoons of the oil, brush the pan with a little of the oil before adding batter each time. Cook each crepe on one side until lightly browned, then turn and cook just a few seconds on the other side. Remove to waxed paper to cool. As the pancakes cool, stake between sheets of waxed paper.
Divide the filling among the crepes, allowing about ¼ cup per crepe. Fold up envelope-style, by first folding the bottom to cover the filling, then folding over the two sides. Allow the seam to be in the bottom of the blintz. (The blintzes can be made to this point ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen.)
In a 10-inch skillet heat one tablespoon each of the butter and oil. Sauté the blintzes over medium heat, allowing them to brown nicely on both sides. Add more butter and oil to the pan as needed. Keep warm in a 200° oven while completing the batches.
When ready to serve, stir the sour cream until smooth and creamy. Place two blintzes in the center of a warmed plate, spoon sour cream over them and garnish with the chives.