The scotch egg is so perfect an outdoor snack that it could have been plucked from a tree. Born out of necessity for food on the go as road travel became popular in the 18th century, it has changed little over the years for good reason. Its natural habitat is the hamper, nestled in with napkins, prawn cocktail crisps and a cold bottle of fizz. This recipe gives you the best version of a scotch egg, with a soft yolk to act as its own sauce and the depth of flavour of black pudding studded through juicy sausage meat to create something special.
Makes 4 eggs
black pudding or Scottish white pudding 160g
premium pork sausage meat 160g
rosemary 2 sprigs, leaves finely chopped
sea salt 2g
white pepper
organic eggs 5 medium, at room temperature
plain flour 50g
semi-skimmed milk 50ml
panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 150g
Crumble the black or white pudding into the sausage meat, then add the rosemary and sea salt, and grind in some white pepper. Mix well, then weigh into 80g balls and put into the fridge.
Add enough water to a pot to cover 4 of the eggs, and bring to the boil. Carefully place the eggs in and boil for 5 minutes and 50 seconds, then remove the eggs and put into a bowl of water with plenty of ice. Leave the eggs for 5 minutes to cool completely, then peel the shell off and dry the eggs.
Put the flour in one bowl; beat the last egg with the milk in another; then lightly crush some of the breadcrumbs in your hands a little for texture, and place in a third bowl. Flatten out each sausage balls and wrap evenly around each egg, making sure the egg is snug and covered in the meat. Dip each egg into the flour, dust off any excess, then dip in the egg-milk mix and finally roll each in the breadcrumbs to give a good coating.
Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas mark 5; at the same time, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the eggs in a pot to 180C. Fry the eggs for 1 minute and 30 seconds, till golden brown. Place the eggs on an oven tray and bake for 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 1 minute before serving.
Calum Franklin is executive chef at Holborn Dining Room
