Thomas Dritsas
Culinary Concept Chef
Whiskey Cake & Ida Claire

Beehive Honey Biscuits and Ham

Recipe courtesy of Thomas Dritsas
Sponsor: National Honey Board

Servings: 3

Ingredients

Hot Honey Infusion (Yield ½ c):

• ½ c honey, lemon or citrus flavored
• 2 Tbsp jalapeño hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp ground Aleppo pepper

Honey Butter (Yield ½ c):

• 4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp Tupelo honey
• 1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard

Southern-Style Honey Butter Biscuits (Yield 6):

• 1 ¼ c self-rising flour
• 1 tsp finely ground sugar
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ c butter-flavored Crisco
• ½ c buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp Honey Butter, room temperature

Beehive Honey Biscuits & Ham (per serving):

• 3 Tbsp Honey Butter, room temperature
• 3 Southern-Style Honey Butter Biscuits, fork split
• 3 oz rosemary lamb ham, thinly shaved
• ¾ tsp local honeybee pollen, crushed
• 3 tsp Hot Honey Infusion, room temperature
• Fresh rosemary sprigs, as needed
• Lavender flowers, as needed

Directions

For the Hot Honey Infusion:

1. Combine honey, hot sauce and pepper in a small microwavable container and heat for 20 seconds.
2. Remove and stir. Repeat heating and stirring until honey begins to simmer.
3. Remove and let honey stand at room temperature to cool.

For the Honey Butter:

1. Whisk the room temperature butter in a bowl for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the honey and mustard and whisk to incorporate.
3. Transfer to a small container and reserve at room temperature.

For the Southern-Style Honey Butter Biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
3. Add the Crisco and combine evenly with your hands until the mixture is crumbly.
4. Add the buttermilk and gently stir until the dough just comes together.
5. Lightly dust the counter with some flour and transfer the dough to the counter.
6. Gently press dough out to ½ in thick, being careful not to overwork it.
7. Cut the dough in half and stack the halves, gently pressing them together. Repress the dough to ½ in thick.
8. Cut 2-in rounds from the dough. Repress the scraps and cut again as needed.
9. Transfer the biscuits to a parchment-lined pan so they aren’t touching. Bake on the center rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.
10. Remove biscuits and brush the tops with the Honey Butter. Reserve warm for plating.

For the Beehive Honey Biscuits and Ham (per serving):

1. Spread 1 Tbsp Honey Butter on the top inside of each biscuit.
2. Place 1 oz lamb ham onto the bottom of each biscuit. Put on the top of the biscuits.
3. Dust the biscuits with the bee pollen
4. Fill small pipettes with some of the Hot Honey Infusion and stick the tips into the tops of the biscuits.
5. Arrange biscuits on a plate with some rosemary and lavender as garnish.

Chef Notes

Other flavors can be infused during the honey heating. Herbs, varieties of peppers or hot sauces can be substituted.

Tupelo or infused rosemary honey add a fragrant component to the biscuit sliders and magnify the rosemary from the ham.

Project Management: Summit F&B
Photography: National Honey Board// Food Styling: Peg Blackley