Who loves a benedict?

You know what I mean, an English muffin split, toasted and topped traditionally with ham or bacon, a poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.

These days there are many variations to suit everyone so here's my take, from the bottom upwards and since it isn't a benedict it needs a name of its own – a scone stack seems appropriate.

Instead of using an English muffin use a buttermilk cheese scone, sliced in half, warmed and buttered. Add a generous slice of smoked salmon, followed by a poached egg, complete with a generous drizzle of mornay sauce and garnish with finely chopped spring onion.

You don't have to struggle with poached eggs if they scare the pants off you – have scrambled instead.

You don't have to struggle with a classic Hollandaise sauce if it too scares the pants off you – make a mornay sauce instead – far easier and, in my opinion, much tastier. A mornay sauce freezes well and all that's required is defrosting and then warming through on the hob – not in a microwave – avoids any possibility of splitting.

Already you have two elements of the dish in the freezer – the scones and the sauce. You can freeze smoked salmon too!

Back to the scone and the English muffin and a little help. The average size of a muffin is 3-4” (8cms/10cms) diameter x 1” (2.5cms) high.

The test batch of scones I made measured 2½“ (6.5cms) x 1½” (4cms) high. Here's an idea – you could make a batch using a larger, straight sided cutter and thus make bigger scones – up the size of the cutter to 3” (8cms) approx, so as to create a more substantial portion. There's no need to waste the test batch – just serve two halves, two slices of salmon, two poached eggs or scrambled.

Here's a tip – if the tops of your scones are uneven, slice the uneven top so that it'll sit flat.

Scone stack photos coming next!

Buttermilk cheese scones … what to expect and what next

As you'd expect I made a batch – there has to be a test run!

Here's a couple of photos :

on the tray, just out of the oven

in all their glory – I'm sorry you can't

inhale the aroma!

Now we've got the buttermilk cheese scones or “biscuits” we've got the base for the weekend breakfast or brunch.

Hold that thought!

Breakfast scones – aka biscuits!

You won't be surprised to learn that my weekend breakfast treat involves a scone and more specifically a buttermilk cheese scone, here's the recipe :

Buttermilk Cheese Scones

500g plain flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsps mustard powder

50g unsalted butter cut into small cubes

25g Trex broken up into small pieces -

it's already soft

160g Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated

(1 tbsp = 15g)

300ml buttermilk

1 egg, beaten for wash

You'll need two baking sheets – 30x30cms (12x12”). I sprinkle the trays with a little flour, it stops the scones from sticking.

Pre-heat your oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7.

Place your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Flour, salt, bicarb, and cream of tartar. Add the butter and Trex to the dry ingredients and rub in, using your fingertips. Add the Cheddar cheese and mix. Add the buttermilk and bring together using a round bladed knife. Then use your hands and bring together to form a dough.

Flour your work surface and shape the dough so that it is roughly 4cm/1½” thick. Use a fluted cutter measuring 6cms/2¼” and place on the trays. Egg wash the scones and sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 12 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

They freeze very well.

Thought you might like a photo or two!

Autumn comfort food and another weekend treat

Do you treat yourself and eat a different style of breakfast on a weekend or do you prefer brunch late morning? Everyone has their favourite guilty pleasure whether it's a simple bacon butty or the Full English. My personal favourite is large roasted Portobello mushroom on a small soft breakfast bap, not forgetting the HP Sauce!

Anyway, moving on I thought I'd suggest something completely different but first a puzzle … when is a biscuit not a biscuit? Answer … when it's a scone!

To explain – in the USA what we call a biscuit they call a cookie and what they call a biscuit we call a scone. They are generally savoury, i.e. without sugar and usually made with buttermilk.

Famously there's “biscuits & gravy”. As so often is the case a lot of dishes or elements thereof are born out of lack of ingredients and using what was plentiful and, more to the point, cheap. The “biscuit” is described as soft and doughy and the “gravy” usually made with dripping from pork sausages adding flour and milk and then seasoning. Other cheaper cuts of meat would also be used.

Here's a snippet of background.

“Biscuits and gravy” is very popular in the Southern States i.e. North and South Carolina (but not exclusively). I mention the Carolinas only because I've spent time there and so can back up my mouth! It became a regional dish after the American Revolutionary War of 1775-1783.

Have you ever noticed how history repeats itself? Not that long ago I wrote at length about Cornish Pasties - this iconic delicacy evolved from humble and cheap beginnings to feed hungry tin miners who were underground for many hours. It's the same principle with biscuits and gravy – substitute tin mine with a day working on a plantation.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that there's a restaurant chain called Biscuitville in North Carolina and Virginia specialising in breakfast food and Southern cuisine.

What follows is my take on a “biscuit” - aka scone - as a breakfast choice and what to put with it!

Orzotto hints and tips

Everyone knows I'm an advocate of prepping ahead - I'm always banging on about making the most of your time and if you're in the kitchen anyway try multi tasking – get organised and set your tray of ingredients ready for your Orzotto the following evening.

Fast forward to arriving home the next day. If you're planning on serving garlic bread with your Orzotto then turn on the oven as you're passing. By the time you've taken off your coat and placed your frying pan on the hob the oven will have reached temperature ready for the ten minutes it takes to bake the bread. If you don't want garlic bread try part baked sourdough – it takes the same amount of time.

Alternatively you could turn on your oven to pre-heat. Make your Orzotto base – turn it off. Hit the shower and change into slobs. All that remains for the ten minutes that your bread will take to bake is to finish off your Orzotto with whatever you're adding and don't forget to warm the bowls.

If you decide to multitask and weigh your ingredients ahead of the game I can tell you that payback is it takes, by my calculations, 15 minutes to cook. What's not to love!

Sit down and enjoy – not too much washing up either.

The same serving suggestions apply as for the risotto – Orzotto is perfect for using Quorn pieces – they only take 9 minutes or 12 minutes if cooking from frozen – so veggie or not, the choice is yours.

If you'd like to see what Orzotto looks like – there are photos on the blog - check out the Pasta label 4^th February 2017 – Revisited.

It's time for more Autumn comfort food ideas and another weekend treat!

Orzotto – it's risotto but not as you know it!

If you love the thought of a risotto during the week but want a short cut here it is – Orzotto. This is another popular recipe from the back catalogue and a very useful Autumn mid week supper dish.

If you've not come across orzo before let me enlighten you, orzo is a pasta and it looks exactly like rice. If you're a lover of risotto but haven't the time or the inclination to make it when you come home from a hard day at work, orzotto is the answer. Some of us aren't that keen on rice and prefer pasta so that's another box ticked!

Orzotto

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

260g orzo pasta

425ml chicken stock (or vegetable)

75ml dry white wine

2 tbsps lemon juice

200g frozen petit pois

2 tbsp fresh pesto

bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

75g parmesan cheese, grated

black pepper

extra grated parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry the onion for 2/3 minutes. Add the dry white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the orzo and cook for 1-2 minutes then add the stock all at once. Simmer and stir occasionally for 7/8 minutes until nearly cooked. Stir in the lemon juice and the frozen peas. Simmer for a minute and then add the Parmesan cheese and continue to simmer for a further 2 minutes until the peas are cooked then add the pesto and the parsley.

Season to taste with black pepper and serve extra grated Parmesan on the side.

If you want to omit the wine increase the stock to 500ml.

Some hints and tips for the Orzotto ...

Risotto “spin-off” bits and pieces

Before I begin a senior moment and a correction. In Crostini munching I wrote “... pass to hungry hoard(e)s” not meaning a hidden stock or treasure. I meant of course “hungry hordes” meaning a tribe or clan. So sorry – can only plead a head full of broken biscuits!

I suggested a drizzle of Balsamic glaze over your arancini and it occurs that it can be quite expensive. If you are, like me, addicted to anything Balsamic then you might want the cheaper option - make your own!

Balsamic Glaze

50g/2oz demerara sugar

250ml/9 fluid oz balsamic vinegar

Place the sugar and vinegar in a medium saucepan (19cms or 7½” in diameter) and heat slowly, stirring allowing the sugar to dissolve. Bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for 20 minutes – until the glaze is reduce by half. It should coat the back of a spoon. Decant into a clean jar with a lid – fridge it.

My only comment - I wouldn't stray too far from your hob and use your timer – it's worth the 20 minutes.

Who knows - this recipe might come in handy with all the random product disappearances over the last months - it's impossible to predict what will vanish next and it's always good to have a “plan b”.

Now for a speedy mid week alternative to risotto without the stress!