Brian Samuels

April 30, 2016

Baking

Fig and Black Pepper Scones with Clotted Cream + A Giveaway

Brian Samuels

April 30, 2016

Baking

I don't know if other people have such strong feelings about scones, but I'm very picky about mine. For years, I've been making them one way and have been happy with the results. The recipe isn't anything particularly complicated: flour, , butter, heavy cream, sugar (you know, the best things on Earth), some baking powder, and salt. The dough is always loaded with whatever I feel compelled to mix in (blueberries or chocolate chips never disappoint). The recipe works... providing a dense, but flakey pastry. I've made it countless times and thought, "Well, I got that one down. Can't imagine a better scone recipe than this."

And then I made Samantha Seneviratne's fig and black pepper scones from her gorgeous book, The New Sugar & Spice: A Recipe for Bolder Baking. I came late to the party and, for some reason, just recently got around to baking from it. Having heard rave reviews, I had to try something... anything. When I saw these scones, I knew that I had to whip up a batch. They are marvelous scones. To be honest, the best I've ever had. And, with her permission, I'm sharing the recipe with all of you. Per Samantha's suggestion, I served them with a dollop of clotted cream.

In addition, I'm thrilled to announce that I'm giving away a copy of The New Sugar & Spice to one lucky person. Just leave a comment on this post (one entry per person). It's only open to U.S. residents (sorry to my Canadian and international readers). Giveaway closes at 12PM EST on Friday, May 6th. The winner will be contacted via e-mail.

Mission Fig and Black Pepper Scone

Source
The New Sugar & Spice by Samantha Seneviratne (very mildly adapted)

Yield
8 big scones

Ingredients
1/4 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (10 1/8 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 1/2 ounces dried Mission figs, stemmed and finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

Directions
1. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, buttermilk, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, pepper, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal with some larger pea-size pieces. Add the figs and toss to combine.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a fork just until shaggy dough forms. Tip the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it, just 2 or 3 times, to get the mixture to come together. Try not to overwork the dough. Form the dough into a 6-inch circle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal triangles. Spread the triangles out evenly on the prepared sheet. Freeze for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

4. Brush the tops of the frozen scones with cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake the scones until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Completely frozen scones may take a few extra minutes. These are best eaten warm.

Serve with clotted cream (see recipe below)

Quick Clotted Cream

Yield
2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, sifted

Directions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.

2. Hand whisk the sour cream, vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar into the whipped cream until completely blended.

Brian Samuels

April 25, 2016

Salads, Seafood

Tuna and Fiddlehead Salad with Ramp Dressing

Brian Samuels

April 25, 2016

Salads, Seafood

Over the weekend, our friends hosted their first Passover Seder. It was very much an abridged version, with a 10 minute haggadah just to cover the key elements. Wine was poured, matzo and haroset and bitter herbs were consumed, and the four questions were said. Then, we feasted. I brought a triple layered gefilte fish (one of these days I'll get around to sharing the recipe) and there was turkey and matzo ball soup and potatoes and green beans and matzo-vegetable pie. We finished with macaroons (which made this guy very very happy) and flourless chocolate cake and fruit jellies. By the end, we were stuffed. Like, rolling on the floor, holding our bellies stuffed. It was a beautiful tradition they started and a lovely way to bring family and friends together.

None of this has to do with this salad recipe, except that it is Kosher for passover. I have a whole bunch of items ready to share with you, but they're all bready and cakey and, well, I just didn't want to post them during the holiday. But soon... very soon. There's been a lot of very heavy eating going on lately. We've been dining out more than usual. So, when we're home, I'll put together big salads for the two of us. There's often a hard-boiled egg and some tuna added. And, I had to include a few of my favorite spring vegetables. The ramp dressing comes together quickly. I'm sure ramps can be a little intimidating to some, but, really, don't be afraid. Just throw them in a blender with some oil and lemon juice and salt, and you have a bright, bold topping for a salad (or, as I've also done, roasted potatoes).

Tuna and Fiddlehead Salad with Ramp Dressing

Yield
2 servings

Ingredients
For the salad
2 eggs
1/2 lb fiddleheads, rinsed
1/2 lb small new potatoes, cut in half (or, if larger, quartered)
7oz jar tuna fillets in oil, oil drained
2 cups mixed spring salad greens, rinsed and dried
Kosher salt
Black pepper

For the dressing
1 cup ramps, rinsed and bottoms trimmed; greens and white parts coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with just enough cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Test with a small sharp knife. If the potatoes fall off the knife, they're done.

2. Meanwhile, place eggs in another pot and fill with water until it covers the eggs by an inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 17 minutes. Prepare a large bowl of ice water transfer eggs to bowl. Let chill for 10-15 minutes.

3. To prepare the fiddleheads, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fiddleheads. While they're cooking, prepare an ice bath. After 6-10 minutes, use a slotted spoon to transfer the fiddleheads to the ice bath. Once chilled, drain the liquid.

4. Make the dressing by adding the tops of the ramps (green and white parts), lemon juice, olive oil and Dijon mustard to the bowl of a blender (this can also be done using an immersion blender). Blend until smooth. Season with salt.

5. Divide the salad greens on each plate. Top with potatoes, tuna, and fiddleheads. Drizzle dressing over salad. Finish with some coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.