Ireland: Potato Scones (March 8, 2008)

Though the Irish diet has changed radically over the last thirty years, one aspect of food life in Ireland that hasn't changed is the love of the potato. Every convenience store and supermarket still sells potatoes by the two-stone bag -- that's a little more than ten kilos, or twenty-eight pounds. Of course they sell smaller quantities, too. But one way or another, sooner or later the Irish cook winds up with leftover potatoes, usually mashed.

This recipe is perfect for using some of those leftovers up. The scones it produces are tender and tasty; they keep well (partly because of the potato in them) and they toast wonderfully. In this version, the scones are sprinkled with grated cheese before baking. But their basic flavor is delicate enough that, if baked plain, sweet toppings could be used instead: or dried fruit like raisins could be added.

This recipe would also work well as a crust for dishes like beef pie with Guinness.

Click on "read more" for the recipe.

For the basic scones (with the cheese topping: omit this if you prefer.)

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups self-raising flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold mashed potato
• 30g butter, melted
• 3/4 - 1 cup milk
• (If wanted: 1/2 cup grated cheese)

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F. Grease a baking tray with melted butter or margarine.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir the mashed potato through until evenly mixed with the flour.

Moisten with the butter and milk to form a soft dough. Then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (Note: depending on how liquid-absorbent your flour is, you may need to add more flour to achieve a dough that's manageable. Try not to overdo it.)

Knead the dough lightly and divide into eight pieces (cutting the dough with a sharp knife usually works better than simply pulling it apart). Roll each piece into an 7- or 8-inch length. Carefully tie into knots -- try not to squash the dough when doing this.

Brush with a little milk and (if you're doing the cheese version) sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden and cooked through, usually about 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm, spread with butter and/or jam.

(This recipe is part of the 2008 Festival of Traditional Irish Saint Patrick's Day Recipes at EuropeanCuisines.com. For the rest of the recipes, please check the menu at this page.)

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