Fried chicken scones

Prep: 40 minutes

Bake: 12-15 minutes

Makes: 8 scones

1 3⁄4 cups flour

3 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder (or 9 bouillon cubes, finely ground)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup chopped crispy chicken skin (optional, see note)

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, melted, cooled

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, bouillon powder, baking powder, poultry seasoning, thyme, black pepper and cayenne together. Stir in the crispy chicken skin, if using. Make a well in the dry mixture; pour in the cream and melted chicken fat. Using your fingers held in a stiff rakelike shape, blend until barely combined. Knead just enough to have a cohesive, soft dough. Overmixing will yield tough scones.

2. Place dough on a lightly floured surface; pat into a 7-inch round, about 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges (triangles). Place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.

3. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer scones to a cooling rack. Serve hot with honey, butter and hot sauce. Or if you want to get meta, serve with fried chicken.

Note: To make crispy chicken skin, spread pieces of chicken skin out flat between two sheets of parchment paper; place between two baking sheets. Bake in a 400-degree oven until deeply golden and completely crispy, 15-25 minutes. Skin should shatter and break instead of bend. Cool completely; chop into pieces and store covered in the fridge for up to a week. If needed, re-crisp in a hot skillet. (Save the chicken fat to use in the scones batter.) Nutrition information per serving (not including optional chicken skin): 243 calories, 15 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 3 g protein, 1,170 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; SHANNON KINSELLA/FOOD STYLING