Tattie Scones

Tattie scones, or potato scones, are an essential part of the full Scottish breakfast, but I'd be willing to bet that most Americans have never even heard of them.  So if you're picturing something like a cross between that blueberry scone you got at Starbucks this morning and light, fluffy potato bread, think again.  They're also not much like the light, fluffy scones you'd see at tea time in the UK.  They're really more like a potato cake than anything else, but rolled out much thinner than other potato cakes I've made.

This is a traditional Scottish dish, probably dating from the 18th or 19th century, and as with many traditional foods, there are many different variations.  These range from very basic recipes with just potato, butter, and flour to recipes with a little baking soda to a slightly thicker version with chives and dill.  As delicious as some of these sounded, I decided as usual to go with the simplest version of the recipe I could find and got started.

The recipe I chose really only had two ingredients, if "leftover mash" counts as one ingredient.  It's just five parts cold leftover mash to one part flour, fried in hot oil.  Really, it couldn't be simpler.  They also re-heat well, fried briefly in the pan with your bacon and eggs in the morning, so don't hesitate to make a large batch.  This recipe makes about 16.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup leftover mashed potatoes*
• 1/4 cup AP flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:
Mix potatoes and flour in a medium bowl.  Turn out onto a  well floured surface, roll out until about 1/4 inch thick.**  Cut into triangles 3 inches across, and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium frying pan until a small scrap of dough dropped into the pan causes the oil to bubble, rather than just sinking.  Put the scones in the pan a few at a time (I did 4 at a time in a 10-inch pan) and fry about a minute on each side until slightly golden.  Remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Tattie scones make a very simple addition to your breakfast or base for appetizers, and can be enjoyed in any number of ways, though my personal favorites are either hot with butter, or cold with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dill.  Some people eat them with butter and jam like a regular scone, too, though I'm not sure how I feel about the combination of fried potato and sweet jam.

*These are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes (have I mentioned before that I always make too many?), but you can, of course, use a fresh batch.  Just add butter and milk like normal, and allow extra time for the potatoes to cool.

**I sometimes find it's easier to flatten the dough by hand in sections, since less of it ends up stuck to the counter and rolling pin that way.