“I thought that potato cakes, or tattie scones as they’re known in Scotland, would be great served with excellent smoked salmon from the Isle of Bute and they certainly are,” says Rick Stein.
“They do need to be made with freshly cooked mashed potato, as the mixture is more malleable.”
Tattie scones with smoked salmon and beetroot, radish and fennel salad
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
For the tattie scones:
500g floury potatoes, such as Maris Pipers or King Edwards, peeled
25g butter
2 spring onions, finely sliced
100-150g self-raising flour
Salt and black pepper
For the beetroot salad:
1 small raw beetroot, peeled
4 radishes, trimmed
1 small fennel bulb
2tbsp cider vinegar
1tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp brown soft sugar
1tsp chopped dill
To serve:
4tbsp crème fraiche
2 heaped tsp creamed horseradish
150-200g smoked salmon or trout
Extra dill or fennel fronds
Lemon wedges
Method:
1. Cut the potatoes into chunks, then put them in a pan of well-salted water (one teaspoon of salt per 600 millilitres) and cook until tender.
2. Drain and leave to dry for a minute or so. Mash until lump free, then stir in the butter and when it has melted, stir in the spring onions and enough flour to make a non-sticky dough. Season with salt and pepper, then leave until it’s cool enough to handle.
3. Put half of the mixture on a floured board and roll it into a disc about 20-25 centimetres in diameter – cut around a plate to help you make a neat round. Cut this into quarters and, using a fish slice, transfer these to a dry frying pan over a medium heat – the idea is to toast the scones rather than fry them. Cook for three to four minutes on each side until golden, then remove and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. While the scones are cooking, finely slice each vegetable for the salad separately, preferably on a mandolin. Put them in a bowl, mix gently and dress with the cider vinegar, oil, sugar and chopped dill.
5. In a separate bowl combine the crème fraiche and horseradish, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve two tattie scones on each plate, top with the salad and a dollop of the crème fraiche mixture. Add slices of smoked salmon or trout, a few fronds of dill or fennel and some lemon wedges.
Rick Stein’s Food Stories is published by BBC Books, priced £28. Photography James Murphy. Available now
