Leftover Ham

I am still stuck on Edna Lewis. This morning I used one of her recipes to make breakfast, and I think it's one of the best ideas ever. She used a simple biscuit recipe, but in a very southern manner added a half cup of cooked minced ham to the recipe just before adding the buttermilk.

This morning we had it with eggs and fresh squeezed citrus juices. What a lovely breakfast it was! Again, you don't really have to use this specific biscuit recipe, but it did come from Edna, herself.

Biscuits (with ham, see above) by Edna Lewis

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 2 teaspoons baking powder
   
3. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1/3 cup cold lard or vegetable shortening (or butter), cut into pieces
6. 1/2 cup buttermilk
7. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. In a bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingers, work in the lard just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk just until moistened.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Roll out or pat the dough 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, stamp out biscuits as close together as possible. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet. Pat the dough scraps together, reroll and cut out the remaining biscuits; do not overwork the dough.
3. Pierce the top of each biscuit 3 times with a fork and brush with the butter. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 14 minutes, or until risen and golden. Serve at once.