From “The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook” (Random House), serves 8-10. See a video demo at .
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup diced onions
2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
4-5 ounces smoked salmon, whitefish, or sturgeon, cut into paper-thin slices
Fresh lemon juice
8-10 dill sprigs for garnish
Directions
In a small bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Reserve.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, buttermilk and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Reserve.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Over medium-high heat, saute onions until golden, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cool slightly, and stir in the dill. Stir in flour mixture, salt, pepper, and then the egg yolk mixture.
Using a wire whisk or an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until shiny and firm, but not dry. Stir a little into the batter, and then fold in the remaining whites.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and dill, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until needed.
In a small bowl, combine remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet or griddle and brush with some of the butter mixture.
For each pancake, pour 1/2 cup batter onto the griddle and over a medium flame, cook until brown on one side. Turn and brown the other side, brushing the skillet or griddle with the butter mixture as necessary. (This makes a pancake approximately 6 inches in diameter).
As the pancakes are cooked, transfer to a tray lined with a clean towel and keep warm in a low oven while preparing the remaining pancakes.
Presentation: Place one pancake on each of 8 or 10 heated plates. Spread some of the sour cream mixture over the pancake and arrange a slice of smoked fish on the cream. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the fish and garnish with a sprig of dill. Serve immediately.
Note: You can also make 2 1/2-inch pancakes using 2 tablespoons of batter. You can cut the smoked fish into smaller pieces or chop and stir it into the cream.
