Lentil Scones with Country Ham and Cheese Curds

This is a recipe I know I will make over and over.  The clincher for me is the kale…I love the stuff and with the cheese curds and lentils, they are full of all the good things I love to eat!   They’d be great with Paul Rogalski’s Curried Lentil Soup. 

• ½ cup whole green lentils dry
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ cup butter (frozen and grated)
• ½ cup country ham diced
• ½ cup cheese curds (packed)
• ¼ cup kale raw and finely chopped
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 ½ Tbsp sour cream
• 1 large egg, separated

Cook lentils in water until tender. Drain and blend with hand blender breaking them up but leaving some whole.

Sift or stir together dry ingredients; add grated butter, cooled lentils, ham, cheese and kale.

In separate bowl stir together milk, sour cream and egg yolk. In a separate bowl, whip egg white until frothy; gently stir into milk mixture.

Fold liquid into the dry ingredients and mix until all sticking together. Do not over mix as it should be easy to crumble when completed.

Form small baseball size portions flattening out a bit with palm of hand on a buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350’F oven for about 22min or until golden brown edges.

Note: you may need a tsp or so more milk to assist in binding if mixture is too dry.            

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Chefs Connie DeSousa and John Jackson
CharCut Roast House, Calgary, AB

Connie DeSousa is one of Canada’s Top Chefs having starred as a finalist in the Food Network culinary competition and a Tourism Calgary Culinary Ambassador. She is known for her stand-out butchery skills. Far from gratuitous, Connie and her restaurant are true to time honoured culinary techniques, sustainability and walking the “toe-to-tail” talk. In a “back-to-basics style” she expertly prepares authentic, regional food at great value and to high critical acclaim.

Chef and Co-owner of CharCut, John Jackson has had a stellar career, working with many of North America’s culinary greats.   He opened Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Restaurant Lagoon in Bora Bora; as opening Executive Chef of the St. Regis Hotel he obtained the Mobil 5-Star Award each year during his tenure.  He’s cooked at the Beard House and worked in London’s River Café.  He perfected the art of butchery in Italy and is now sharing those considerable talents with the lucky patrons of CharCut.