Bacon Cheddar Scones Recipe

Recipe by Chef Grady Spears

These savory scones are perfect for an indulgent Sunday breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients:

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon sugar
• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1  cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3  green onions, minced
• 2  jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 5 to 6  bacon slices, cooked and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2  cup buttermilk or heavy cream, divided
• 1  egg
• 2  tablespoons milk

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Gradually cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles small peas. Stir in the cheese, just until combined. Add green onions, jalapeños, bacon, and 1/3 cup buttermilk. Mix by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Mix as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone.
3. Place dough on a lightly floured board. Pat dough into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a circle about 7 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal wedges.
4. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl and brush tops of each scone.
5. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.

Southern Fried Chicken

by Edna Lewis

Soaking the chicken in salt water—or brining—is a trick all good Southern cooks use. Many say it’s the key to the flavor and tenderness of their fried chicken. For a ham flavor, country ham is simmered with the fat. You can substitute 2 cups vegetable oil for the lard. 

 Ingredients:

• 1/2  cup plus 1 teaspoon, salt, divided 
• 6  cups water 
• 3  pounds chicken, cut into 8 pieces 
• 1  quart buttermilk 
• 1  pound lard 
• 1/2  cup unsalted butter 
• 1/2  cup country ham pieces, or 1 thick slice country ham cut into 1/2-inch strips 
• 1  cup all-purpose flour 
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1/2  teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions:
 

1. Combine 1/2 cup salt and water in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag and marinate in refrigerator  8 hours. Drain. Combine chicken and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Drain on a wire rack.
2. Combine lard, butter and ham in a heavy skillet. Cook over low heat, skimming as needed, until butter stops foaming and ham is browned, about 30 minutes. Remove ham with a slotted spoon. Increase heat to medium-high and heat fat to 335F.
3. Combine flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper on a piece of wax paper.
4. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture; tap well to remove excess.
5. Working in batches, place chicken, skin side down, into heated fat. Do not crowd. Cook until chicken is golden brown and cooked, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Pierce with a fork; if juices run clear, chicken is done. Remove and drain thoroughly on a wire rack or crumpled paper towels.

The Relish Cake Contest Is On!

There are some who say that you can't have your cake and eat it too. To those people we say: Phooey.

If you want to find out what our official Favorite Relish Cake of all time is and find out how you can win a set of gourmet Circulon cookware and a set of world-class Wusthof cutlery, follow the Trail of Bread Crumbs starting with This One.

To enter to win the prize, email us the name of the cake at contest@relish.com, and include your name! The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on Friday, July 15. Good luck! And if you're still hungry for cake, keep strolling in our Cake Contest slide show for more yummy cakes and free recipes!