Tattie Scones are famous in Scotland. Mashed potato whipped to perfection then baked until risen, yum!
I must say, it does sound a bit like fancy mashed potato. I won’t lie to you, it pretty much is! However, unlike just ‘mash’, Tattie Scones have a few extra ingredients to help bind it PLUS it has a flour coating which helps it crisp in all the right places. It can be baked in the oven or shallow fried in a heavy griddle pan.
Tattie Scones come in different shapes and sizes – some flat and cut into wedges, and others round and recognizably ‘scone’ like in the traditional sense. It’s usually a breakfast delicacy served with crispy bacon, beans and egg.
Maori Bread (aka Rewena) is made from potato too then left to ferment (potato acts as the leavening agent) before adding flour and cooking. It’s very similar to the Scottish Tattie Scone concept. Now days Maori Bread resembles more of a traditional fried scone made from flour (with or without potato).
As a fascinating side story….
Did you know though, that flour wasn’t introduced to NZ until the early 1800s? Maori quickly grasped the technology and where the prominent traders of potato and wheat, and indeed leading flour millers throughout NZ during the 1840-1860s, even exporting flour to Australia. Unfortunately there was a market crash in Australia and what with the drop in prices and exhausted soils in NZ, enterprise suffered. Amongst further challenges of shipwrecks and capital investment in the mills themselves, what wasn’t quite nailed was crop rotation. Crops failed, closely followed by the mills themselves.
I’ve been on a mission to replicate some UK recipes following my recent road-trip so this was my attempt at the Tattie Scone! While I have ingredients listed, this is a perfect recipe for any ‘left overs’ you may have in your fridge too, whether it’s cold potato, kumara or leek, like I’ve used.
My Tattie Scones
Ingredients
- 8 large potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 30g butter,
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- milk
- 1 egg
- sauteed leek
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Method
- Ensure your mashed potato is seasoned to taste. Mash with butter, add egg and splashes of milk periodically, until whipped to a smooth, thick, stodgy cream. Add sauteed leek (or onion, or any other leftovers you’d like to experiment with). Season to taste, then add baking powder. The Tattie Scones ‘rise’ marginally and give the potato a light and fluffy texture.
- Flour a clean surface and dollop your mash on top. Dust your hands with flour and knead the mash into a dough, folding in flour as you go. Use your palms to form small balls of ‘tattie dough’, then flatten to create a 2cm thick scone round. Or, create one giant flat round and cut into equal wedges. Either way, use a floured hand to pat each scone so there are no sticky edges.
- Bake on a greased baking sheet (approx 15 minutes at 200ºC) or fry in a buttered griddle for 5 minutes on either side.
- Eat warm!
