Monday 17 August 2020

Scottish Tattie (Potato) Scone BLT's

Scottish tattie scone BLT's

When you consider just how popular the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich actually is around the world, it becomes almost incredible to think that it is nearly always prepared and served up almost exactly the same way. A couple of leaves of (often limp) lettuce, topped with bacon and a couple of slices of tomato, all contained in a burger bun or similar bread roll. This is a great shame, as like so many other simple food concepts, it is very easy to vary it in an almost infinite number of ways to make it all the more exciting and tasty, while still remaining absolutely true to the core concept. This simple but delectable creation adds a Scottish tattie (potato) scone to the basic ingredients list, as well as introducing a spicy little twist to the preparation of the lettuce component. If you can't get (or make!) tattie scones, Irish potato farls are very similar.

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ready in: 15 min
Yields: 2 BLT's

Ingredients

4 British back bacon rashers (or 6 to 8 strips American bacon)
Vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon hot chilli powder
Salt and black pepper
4 medium green lettuce leaves
1/4 small white onion
2 tattie scones
2 soft bread rolls
1 medium tomato
2 or 3 large basil leaves

Frying bacon rashers

Directions

Pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in to a large, non-stick frying pan and put the bacon on to fry for a couple of minutes or so each side over a medium heat until cooked as you like it.

Preparing spicy sauce for lettuce and onion

When the bacon is in the pan, combine the yoghurt, ketchup, chilli powder, mint and some salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Make sure it is well mixed together.

Lettuce and onion are added to spicy sauce

Wash the lettuce leaves, shake dry, roll and shred. Moderately finely dice the peeled onion quarter. Add the lettuce and onion to the spicy sauce and gently stir fold it through to ensure even coating.

Put your kitchen grill (broiler) on to preheat to its highest setting.

Frying tattie scones

When the bacon is ready, lift it to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain and fry the tattie scones for a minute each side in the same pan in the bacon fat.

Cut the rolls open and toast lightly on the cut sides under the grill/broiler.

Wash the tomato, dry and finely slice.

Spicy lettuce and onion is spooned on to roll bases

Lay the roll halves on a plate, cut sides up. Put a generous spoonful of the spicy lettuce and onion mix on the bottom half of each roll (you probably won't need the whole lot but it will keep in the fridge for a few hours).

Tattie scones are laid on spicy lettuce and onion

Take the tattie scones from the frying pan, lay them briefly on some kitchen paper to remove the excess grease and lay one on top of each lettuce bed.

Bacon rashers are laid on top of tattie scones

Place 2 bacon rashers carefully on top of each tattie scone.

Scottish tattie scone BLT's are closed over and ready to serve

Lay 2 or 3 slices of tomato on top of the bacon on each roll. Roll and shred the basil leaves before scattering over the tomato. Close the rolls over to serve.

This is but one of the endless ways in which it is possible to "spice up" the simple combination that is the BLT. Why not use your imagination to experiment a bit and see what variations on the theme you can come up with?

Saturday 8 August 2020

Easy Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Roast chicken, roast potatoes and broccoli

Recently, I shared on this blog details of an Indian rogan josh spatchcock chicken served with turmeric and red onion rice recipe. It was mentioned to me by someone that they loved the idea of preparing a chicken in this way but without the spicy influences. For this reason, today I'm sharing a simple, straightforward recipe for roasted spatchcock chicken served with potatoes roasted in the chicken juices.

Potatoes are parboiled prior to being roasted

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 2 hours 20 min

Ready in: 2 hours 30 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • Baby new potatoes as required
  • Salt
  • 1 medium chicken
  • Black pepper
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 medium head of broccoli 
 
Chicken is spatchcocked by removing the backbone

Directions

Wash the potatoes and cut them in half but leave them unpeeled. Put them in to a pot of cold, salted water and simmer for about 15 minutes until just partly cooked. Drain and set aside to steam off, dry out and cool down. Cover until required.

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Sit the chicken broad end down on a chopping board and carefully cut down either side of the backbone with a cleaver or very sharp and robust knife. Remove the bone and discard. Weigh the bird to establish cooking time of 20 minutes per pound and 20 minutes over.

Chicken fully prepared for oven roasting

Lightly oil a deep roasting tray. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on the flesh side and lay on the tray flesh side down. Season the top of the bird liberally with salt only and place the tray in to the oven for the allotted cooking period. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.

Spatchcock roast chicken must be left to rest

Take the chicken from the oven (but don't turn the oven off) and pierce the thickest part of each thigh with a skewer to ensure the juices run clear. If not, cook for 10 more minutes before testing again. Carefully lift to a large plate, cover with foil and leave to rest.

Pour another 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil in to the hot tray and add the cooled potatoes. Turn them around carefully in the oil and roast for 20 minutes, stirring carefully again half way through.

Chop the broccoli in to even sized florets and add to a pot of simmering, salted water for 5 minutes.

Roast potatoes are drained on kitchen paper

Take the potatoes from the oven and lift to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain. Cut the legs from the chicken and slice off the breast fillets. Drain the broccoli and serve a leg portion and breast portion of the chicken along with half the potatoes and half the broccoli per person.