Strawberry & Pepper Jam served with Buttery Black Pepper Scones and Goat’s Cheese – recipe
What can be more evocative of England than afternoon tea! We have water-coloured dreams of cottage gardens, or rolling lawns with summer strollers heading for a table laden with scones and jam. The alternative vision is of a Victorian drawing room bathed in the golden and flickering light of an open fire; but still that stand of scones and jam remains a delicious focal point. Perhaps Strawberry & Pepper Jam served with Buttery Black Pepper Scones and Goat’s Cheese.
We can all enjoy that classic indulgence, but The East India Company offers a contemporary and savoury twist to the classic afternoon treat. Strawberry & Pepper Jam served with Buttery Black Pepper Scones and Goat’s Cheese has the appearance of the original scones and jam, and indeed that’s just what it is, but with the addition of exotic black pepper.
It’s easy to forget that pepper is indeed exotic and was traded in distant Java. It has become the most common spice and we take it for granted but it has always been prized for its flavouring qualities, has been used for wages and rent, and wars have been fought for its acquisition. In 1677 the original East India Company imported into London 3200 tonnes of pepper. Today the East India Company in Mayfair offers a marriage of the quintessentially English strawberry jam with the celebrated vibrancy of pepper.
Buttery Black Pepper Scones
Makes 12 x 5cm Scones
Ingredients:
225g Plain flour
1 tbs Baking powder
½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
⅛ to ¼ tsp Salt
¾ tbs Black pepper – freshly ground
110g Salted butter – chilled, cut into small cubes
150ml Buttermilk – chilled
A little extra flour for rolling out
A little extra melted butter or milk for brushing the scones
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F (for a fan-assisted oven).
Oil a large baking sheet or line it with a non-stick liner.
Weigh and measure all the ingredients and have them ready to use.
Method:
Mix the flour with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour mixture. The mixture should look like rough breadcrumbs with still some visible butter, which is what will help to give a flaky texture to the scones when they are baked.
Pour in about half the milk and combine with the buttery flour. Add more milk till a light and soft dough forms. Some flour will absorb more liquid and some less, so be prepared to have a little milk left over (you can use this to brush the top of the scones) or to use a few tablespoons extra.
It is important to not ‘over-work’ the dough as this will result in tough scones. Bring the mixture together gently and as soon as it holds together turn it out onto a floured bench.
Lightly roll the dough to 1cm thick and cut into 5cm rounds with a straight-sided cutter. Do not turn the cutter as this will cause the sides of the scones to fuse together and could result in an uneven rise.
Gather together any remaining dough after cutting the first scones, shaking off excess flour. You can roll it again to produce more scones. Brush the tops with milk or melted butter.
Quickly lay the scones on the baking sheet and put directly into the pre-heated oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and risen. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack.
Pile the Buttery Black Pepper Scones onto a serving plate or into a napkin-lined basket. Serve these, split, with a thin round of goat’s cheese and a swirl of the Strawberry & Pepper Jam for a taste of tradition and a garnish of history.
Recipe by Chrissie Walker © 2018
