Recipe The Perfect Scottish Tattie Scone

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There are a number of things that need to be observed in making the perfect tattie scone. The first is that the potatoes are floury (such as King Edwards). Waxy or salad potatoes will simply not work - you need mashers, potatoes that will disintegrate if they were to be overcooked, not potatoes that hold their shape. Secondly, you need them as dry as possible before you mash them, hence the drying them off in a hot pan after cooking. Thirdly, you need to peel them as soon as possible, and 4th you need to ensure that you roll the scone to the correct thickness (5mm) so that the flour is cooked inside the tattie scone and that you bronze the tattie scone correctly without burning it. Take care at this point. Any shape will work, but traditionally it is a quarter of the side plate in side, so 4 of them would cover a side plate completely. After that they are best served smothered in butter (in fact making them with butter and frying them in butter is more traditional, but I'm allergic to it, so I have to make do! Some people include an egg for binding, other's don't. I honestly don't know which is traditional so have left the egg has an optional extra.

DSC_0384a.jpg


Ingredients
500g floury potatoes, unpeeled
50ml oil
125g self raising flour, plus extra to dust
1 tsp finely ground salt (for the mash)
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (black is OK if you can't get white)
1 egg, beaten (optional)

Method
  1. Put the whole potatoes in a pan, cover with water, salt very generously and bring to the boil. Simmer until cooked through and then drain well and return to the hot pan for a minute to dry off.
  2. Peel off the skins as soon as you can handle them - or skewer them with a knife and get the skin off with another!
  3. Mash the potatoes and get them as smooth as possible, and add 50ml of oil, the salt and the pepper. You need to season it well. Now mash it all in well.
  4. Stir in the flour until it is well combined - it does go in quite easily if you use the fold and cut technique. Adjust the seasoning to taste here.
  5. (Add in the extra optional egg here - ensuring it is well beaten first).
  6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick, then cut around a side plate to shape - roughly 100g per round. Dust lightly with flour and prick all over with a fork.
    If you want nice smooth edges to the rounds, then roll the 100g soft potato mixture into a ball with your hands. Now gently press the ball down with your well floured fingers flattening it carefully as much as you can. Finally use a rolling pin to even out the circle.
  7. Cut into quarters and heat the a little of the remaining oil on a griddle over a medium-high heat. Fry/dry cook each triangle until golden on both sides (about 3-5 minutes). The aim is to cook the potato cake not deep fry it. See below for what you are aiming for.
  8. Serve immediately, or cool in a tea towel for later
As always, I will upload a photo once I have made them!
Taken from the following 2 sources
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/jan/08/how-to-cook-perfect-tattie-scones
https://www.thespruce.com/scottish-tattie-scones-recipe-434996
 
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Some photos and explanations... I didn't need the egg for binding and tbh I don't think it is necessary. I used a good quality olive oil for the mash, getting it as smooth as I could to make a really nice cake. I also used self raising flour - something I'll change in the recipe - which makes it easy to know when the cake needs turning because it will rise slightly and have a great light texture to it. Yes, they would be amazing covered in butter, but I can't anymore, so I just ate them as they were. Tonight the remaining ones will be reheated (as is traditional) and served instead of bread with our broccoli and pasta soup.

First what you are aiming for...

DSC_0384a.jpg


These are cooked with the just less than the correct amount of oil - too little.
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These have been cooked with too much oil in the pan.
DSC_0389a.jpg
 
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