This is one of the best scotch eggs you'll ever eat. A fantastic canapé to serve over the Christmas period.
Ingredients
- 12 quail eggs, at room temperature
- 270g sausagemeat
- 200g goose confit (available from good supermarkets and delis)
- Bunch of fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 50g plain flour, seasoned
- 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 litres vegetable/sunflower oil for frying
Method
- 1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the quail eggs and cook for 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and make peeling easier (see tip).
- 2. Mix the sausagemeat with the goose confit, tarragon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry a small amount to taste. Take about 40g of the mixture, flatten into a disc, then wrap evenly around a quail egg to fully enclose (be careful not to squash the egg). Repeat with the remaining meat and eggs.
- 3. Put the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dust the scotch eggs in the flour, then dip in the egg to coat and finally roll in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a paper-lined plate to chill.
- 4. Heat the oil in a large pan to 170°C or until a small piece of bread browns in 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, lower the eggs into the hot oil in batches of 3 or 4 at a time. Fry for 4 minutes until golden and cooked, then remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a kitchen paper-lined tray. Repeat with the rest of the eggs. Eat warm with homemade mayonnaise.
Nutritional info
Per egg: 230kcals, 15.7g fat (3.3g saturated), 8.6g protein, 9.2g carbs (0.3g sugars), 0.7g salt, 0.4g fibre
Chef's tip
To make it easier to peel the quail eggs, plunge into a bowl of iced water as soon as they’re cooked, then peel them in the water. If you can’t find goose confit, you can use duck confit instead.
Wine Recommendation
A fresh, soft and tangy Pinot Noir is needed here – try Australian or Chilean for modern, plumped-up Pinot.
More Christmas recipes
Christmas pudding
Make-ahead recipes
Christmas baking
Vegetarian Christmas recipes
Christmas recipes