[food] Default scones; update on the couscous thing

[kaberett]

Scones

450g flour (I am currently using a mix of SR and plain)
1tsp baking soda
100g butter (cold!)
85 caster sugar (I am currently using a mix of Vanillezucker and golden caster)
284ml pot buttermilk
splash of milk

Pre-heat oven to 220degC/gas 7.

Combine baking soda and flour; rub in fat. Mix sugars through.

Use knife to stir buttermilk through proto-pastry as rapidly/gently as possible.

Turn out onto floured surface; shape with hands; press out to ~4cm thick; cut out appropriate sizes of scone. Transfer to baking sheet; bake for 10-12 minutes.

The couscous thing

Current winter iteration of the couscous thing involves roasting a bulb of garlic, and also onion and butternut squash and beetroot with cumin and coriander seed; combining with griddled halloumi, pomegranate seeds, chestnuts. Preserved lemon is an optional extra. Also goes very nicely with carrots and fennel thrown in with the roasting veg; dried apricots do, of course, happen. (Pistachios instead of chestnuts is also good, but we had some chestnuts as wanted using up and I'd been craving a beetroot-chestnut Thing, because apparently beetroot has now been rehabilitated.)

Comments

[alatefeline]

Sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing!

[watersword]

Couscous + pistachios + garlic is always such a good idea.

[davidgillon]

Glad to hear beetroot has apparently been rehabilitated. Beetroot is the hard-working embodiment of the British vegetable classes and would like the court to take it's many character witnesses into consideration