Scotch egg
Scotch eggs are easier to make than you might expect and are so much better for being freshly cooked. James served this homemade scotch egg as part of a posh picnic at Crom Castle along with a venison sausage roll and venison carpaccio.
Ingredients
- 4 free-range eggs
- 250g/9oz pork mince
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú bacon, finely chopped
- ½ Bramley apple, finely chopped
- 1 tsp freshly chopped sage
- 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
- 1 tsp freshly chopped curly parsley
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
To pané
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú Panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil, for shallow frying
Method
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Boil your eggs for 4 minutes if you want a runny yolk or 7 minutes for hard boiled. Then place in iced water and crack the shells a little to make peeling easier. Allow to cool completely, then peel and set aside.
Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and divide into four equally sized balls. Then squash the mixture into a flat oval. Carefully wrap the eggs in the mixture one at a time.
Lightly dust the scotch eggs in flour. Put the beaten egg and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working one at a time, roll the scotch eggs in the beaten egg and then coat in breadcrumbs.
Pour a generous layer of oil into a large saucepan or deep frying pan and place over the heat. CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended. When the oil is hot, add the scotch eggs, taking care not to overcrowd the pan (cook in batches if necessary). Fry for 8–10 minutes carefully turning regularly until crisp and golden all over and cooked through. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain for a few minutes before serving.