Home-made Scotch eggs are far superior to shop-bought ones and they only take around an hour to make.
Ingredients
- 8 large free-range eggs
- 500g good-quality pork mince
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 50g plain flour for dusting
- 150g fresh fine white breadcrumbs
- Sunflower or vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
- 1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then carefully lower 6 of the eggs into the water and cook for 6 minutes. Remove and plunge into a bowl of iced water for a minute. Drain, then peel the shells off carefully and set aside.
- 2. Mix the pork, herbs and garlic. Season well, then divide into 6 equal portions. Flatten each piece out into a 13cm circle, place an egg in the middle of each and bring the mince up with your hands to encase the egg in an even layer. ›
- 3. Put the flour, remaining eggs (beaten) and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. In turn, dust each encased egg in the flour, dip in the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a baking paper-lined plate.
- 4. Pour the oil into a large high-sided pan and heat to 180°C. It’s best to use a thermometer for accuracy, but a cube of bread should turn golden in about 60 seconds.
- 5. Cook the eggs 2 at a time, letting the oil reheat between each batch. Cook for 8 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and cool for 10 minutes. Serve the eggs warm or cold with good-quality mayo.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 526kcals, 33.7g fat (7.6g saturated), 31.6g protein, 26.8g carbs, 0.9g sugar, 1g salt
Wine Recommendation
The eggs are good with inexpensive, simple but fruity Aussie Chardonnay – or give your guests a decent English dry cider.