Janice Tripepi

My step Nana was Scottish and could bang out all sort of Scottish treats from her kitchen in a Nano-second. She always had a cigarette with a drooping tassel of white ash dangling dangerously out of the corner of her mouth which I just could not take my eyes off. Like a ‘wee’ ferret she would dart around her farm kitchen “knockin somethin up fa ya lassie – a wee treat!” I don’t wish to make her sound anything but special – her eyes were gentle and kind and I think she had a wicked sense of humour. All of the grown-ups laughed whenever she spoke …. I was only around five years of age – so I couldn’t understand her humour I guess or her Scottish rhymes and expressions which spent hours teaching me to recite.

Being a pig farmer she cured her own hams, made her own jams and grew her own fruit and veggies. Being the youngest, my sisters and cousins who were a lot older than me, were not too keen to always drag “Janice!” along, so I spent lots of time around the kitchen and dairy with my Nana and Aunty Jean. My official job was to churn the milk and make butter – I remember feeling uber clever after patting the butter into blocks and feeling very chuffed with the patterns that the butter pats left behind on the golden blocks of rich butter.

On one of those ‘left behind’ occasions Nana took me by my hand, grabbed the sugar bowl and led me outside the kitchen to a patch of purple-pink plants outside the kitchen window that I remember thinking looked a bit hairy and quite scary. Rhubarb! She broke off a stalk, dunked it into the sugar and told me to take a bite! I have been smitten ever since and the moment I get some rhubarb in my hands – a crumble it is a la Nana! I rather enjoy raw rhubarb in salads too.

To say which of her recipes my favourite is would be quite difficult, it’s a toss-up between Yorkshire Puddings and Tattie Scones. Carol gave me some fresh Duck Eggs and I had some left-over mashed potato, so I made Tattie Scones for breakfast …. the perfect compliment to rich duck eggs.

Nana’s Tattie Scones with Poached Duck Eggs

& Parmesan Butter

Ingredients

2 cups of left over mash

3Tbs Plain flour

Salt & Pepper

Your mash needs to be at room temperature so leave it out the night before you make this for breakfast.

In a bowl mix the mash with the flour, salt and pepper.

Need the potato and flour together on a board and shape into a round, like a shortbread

Petticoat round.

Cut the Scone into four and prick with a fork.

Place into a non-stick frying pan with NO butter or oil.

You dry fry this scone until its nicely coloured then flip it over and

Then brown the other side.

The Parmesan and Butter Topping

3Tbs butter melted

3Tbs of finely grated Parmesan Cheese

Chopped parsley for garnishing and a bit of freshness to cut into the

richness of the egg.

Poached Duck Eggs

I got a message from a blogger to ask me how to poach eggs – so here we go!

Break your egg into a cup.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.

Add 1Tbs of vinegar

Thanks to Moni-Q for modelling for me!!

Using a spoon stir the water in a circular motion to make a well in the centre.

Slowly pour the egg into the centre of the swirling water and leave to poach.

If you are not sure if your egg is cooked – gently lift it up with the slotted spoon

and push on the yolk to see if its set on the outside – I like my egg yolks runny so I usually

cook them for about 3 – 4 minutes.

When all of the egg white has gone opaque gently lift the egg out of the water using a slotted spoon.

Lift it onto a tea towel to drain off any excess water.

To assemble :

Butter the top of one quarter of the Tattie scone

Gently place a poached egg on top of the scone and dollop a good Tbs of the butter

on top of the egg with a Tbs of the finely grated parmesan cheese,

the cheese shouldl melt on the warm egg if not you could flash grill it in your oven –

 until the butter and parmesan cheese melts.

Serve with a nice cappuccino or cup of tea

Or my personal fave – a glass of champagne!

This is nice hearty breakfast that is also great for hangovers!

How about adding some chopped chilli and spring onion to the potato for a

bit of a kick!

As always

Buon appetito

Have a great weekend – Monday I am sharing my Red Pepper, Olive, Sundried Tomato

 & Cashew Nut Pesto Recipe.

Xxx

jan