Scones with Preserved Lemon for Outlander Season Premiere S4E1
Quarry nodded and refilled Grey’s glass.
“You’re not eating,” he observed.
“I lunched late.” Quite late. In fact, he hadn’t had luncheon yet. He took a scone and spread it desultorily with jam.
“And Denys Wossname?” Quarry asked, flicking the letter with a pickle fork. “Shall I inquire about him, too?”
“By all means. Though I may make better progress with him on the American end of the matter. That’s at least where he was last seen.” He took a bite of scone, observing that it had achieved that delicate balance between crumbliness and half-set mortar that is the ideal of every scone, and felt some stirrings of appetite return. He wondered whether he should put Harry onto the worthy Jew with the warehouse in Brest, but decided not. The question of French connections was more than delicate, and while Harry was thorough, he was not subtle.
An Echo in the Bone, chapter 32, “A Flurry of Suspicion”
Welcome back from Droughtlander everyone! And welcome to Outlander Kitchen’s newly renovated home. Isn’t the white space nice? We cleaned things up a bit. Browse for recipes in the Recipe Index, or search for specific recipes on the Posts page.
I know the blog has been very quiet for some time, but I’ll be back each week with a new recipe or suggested dish/drink for every episode of season 4.
This recipe for Scones with Preserved Lemon is straight from the Table of Contents for Outlander Kitchen 2, which is keeping me very busy! We don’t have an exact publishing date yet, but you can look for it to come out in late 2019.
Preserved lemons are a Norht African condiment that most certainly had a place in wealthy 18th Century pantries. You can make them at home, but they take a few weeks. You can also find them in some grocery stores, specialty markets, and, of course, amazon.
Scones with Preserved Lemon
Crumbly, yet light, scones full of lemony flavour.
Makes 8
Ingredients
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ preserved lemons, rinsed, flesh and pith discarded, peel minced (about ¼ cup)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup chilled butter
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1¼ cups whipping cream, plus additional for brushing
Coarse demerara or raw sugar, for sprinkling
Method
In a large bowl, toss together the granulated sugar and preserved lemon. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Grate in the butter; toss to coat. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and cream. Mix with a fork, incorporating the dry ingredients a little at a time, until a shaggy, slightly dry dough forms.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly into a ball. Roll to a 6- by 12-inch rectangle and fold in thirds, as a business letter. Turn the dough ¼ turn and roll out again to a 6- by 12-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 square scones, or use a round cutter if you prefer. Brush dough with cream and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Move the rack to the middle rung and heat the oven to 375°F.
Bake scones until they are golden brown, 25–30 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve with butter and jam. Clotted cream is also lovely!
Keep leftovers in a air-proof container for up to 3 days.
- No preserved lemons? Substitute the zest of two whole lemons instead.
- For triangular scones, roll the dough into a 1-inch thick round, and cut into 8 even wedges.
