National Trust Brunch: Potato & Chive Scones with Bacon & Egg and Blistered Rosemary Tomatoes
From Ainsley’s National Trust Cook Off, ITV
Although mostly associated with Scotland, potato or tattie scones are a popular breakfast item throughout the UK and there are many variations of the recipe. I’ve added some fresh chives from the garden for a mild and herby onion flavour. They’re easy to make and a delicious way to use up any leftover mash. I’m serving my scones with bacon & egg and some tasty toms – perfect for a satisfying brunch.
Method
Boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and leave to steam dry in the colander. Mash the potatoes well, using a ricer if you have one, in a bowl with ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp white pepper. Leave to cool.
Put the flour, baking powder, chives and butter into a large bowl and add the cooled mash. Combine the mixture, using your fingers to form into a dough. Check for seasoning and then divide into 4 balls.
Lightly flour a work surface and use your fingers to flatten each ball into a circle of about ½ – 1 cm thick and 10cm wide (or use a rolling pin if you prefer). Prick the surface all over with a fork and cut each circle into quarters to make four triangles.
Heat a non-stick flat sided frying pan over a medium heat. Add a small knob of butter and a drizzle of oil to the pan and when foaming add the scones. Cook in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until nice and golden. Transfer to a cooling rack while you cook the rest of the scones.
When cooked, fry your bacon and egg to your liking and heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and chilli flakes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary to the griddle pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until the tomatoes are lightly charred and blistered, turning occasionally. If you like, reheat the potato cakes in the bacon pan for extra flavour. Serve the scones with the bacon, egg and tomatoes and garnish with snipped chives.
TIP: try skewering the tomatoes with a small sprig of rosemary before cooking – they look pretty and it adds a lovely burst of flavour
Ingredients
- 500g floury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and roughly chopped
- 100g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp snipped chives, plus extra for garnish
- 25g butter, room temperature
- sea salt and ground white pepper
- butter & oil, for frying
- 200g ripe cherry vine tomatoes
- pinch of chilli flakes
- sprig of rosemary (optional)
- olive oil, for drizzling
- 8 slices of good quality British bacon
- 4 eggs, for frying