Proper Scotch Eggs Recipe – Cappers Farmer

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The simplest way to peel a boiled egg is to firmly rap the more pointed end of the egg on a hard surface. There’s an air bubble in there that will help lift the shell and membrane away from the white and make it easier to peel.

Photo by Patricia Niven

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“The Beer Kitchen” is filled with a variety of recipes that can be cooked with or pair nicely with beer.

Courtesy of Hardie Grant Books

2 servings SERVINGS

Ingredients

3 medium eggs, at room temperature
1/2 medium onion (50 g/2 oz/1/2 cup), very finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chilli (hot pepper) flakes, crushed
1/2 tablespoon very finely chopped sage leaves
1/2 tablespoon each of very finely chopped thyme, parsley and mint leaves small knob of unsalted butter
1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) groundnut, grapeseed or other neutral oil, plus extra for greasing
50 g (2 oz) black pudding, at room temperature, finely chopped
100 g (3-1/2 oz) sausage meat (breakfast sausage), at room temperature
100 ml (3-1/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) traditional bitter (you may not need all of it)
2 tablespoons milk
50 g (2 oz/heaped 1/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g (3-1/2 oz/1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
Beer Mustard (see below), to serve

Directions

Put a saucepan of salted water on to boil.Fill a large bowl with cold water.

Put the ice cubes in it.

Place 2 of the eggs in the boiling water for 4-1/2 minutes,remove with a slotted spoon and put straight into the iced water.

Gently fry the onion, pepper, chilli and herbs in the butter over a low heat for about 8 minutes until the onion is softened.

Place the onion and herb mixture in a bowl lined with paper towels, and put in the freezer to cool for 10 minutes.

Take the onion and herb mix out of the freezer and remove the paper towels.

Rub your hands with a little oil and squidge the black pudding and sausage meat together(it’s joyously mucky this bit!) with the onion mix, slowly add the beer a splash at a time, making sure you don’t make it too sloppy a paste and that there are still small chunks of whole black pudding.

Pop the bowl into the freezer for 20 minutes to infuse and become firmer.

Peel the chilled boiled eggs carefully (see tip).Whisk together the remaining egg and the milk and pour into a medium-sized shallow dish.

Put the flour and bread crumbs on 2 separate plates.Take a 30 cm (12 in) piece of cling film (plastic wrap), oil it lightly, then place half the meat mixture on it.

Lightly flour one of the carefully peeled egg and place it in the center of the meat then,using the cling film, very gently mould the mixture around the egg, twisting the cling film closed once you’re done.Repeat with the other egg.

Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Heat the oil in a large pan or deep-fat fryer to 170°C(340°F).Remove the eggs from the freezer, unwrap and roll in the flour, then the egg and milk mixture and then the breadcrumbs, using one hand for wet and one hand for dry.

Repeat at least once on both eggs.Using a slotted spoon,carefully lower the eggs gently into the hot oil and fry for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and the internal temperature of the meat is 69°C (156°F).

This is a couple of degrees below the safe temperature but the eggs will continue to cook after you remove it.

Be careful not to probe too deep with the thermometer and pierce your egg!

Place the scotch eggs on paper towels to drain and allow to cool slightly.

To serve,cut in half and serve with your sauce of choice – the Beer Mustard (below) works very well. NOTE: Your digital thermometer is really important here. You can just drop a cube of bread in and if it instantly sizzles then it’s about the right temperature but this doesn’t allow you to monitor your temperatures and you can burn the outside before cooking the meat,which is dangerous.

Beer Mustard

This is simplicity itself. Use a beer local to you that isn’t too bitter.As my closest brewery is Kew Brewery, I use the Botanic, which has a hint of juniper in it175 g (6 oz) yellow mustard seeds
175 g (6 oz) black mustard seeds
175 ml (6 fl oz/3/4 cup) cider or Beer
Vinegar
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
300 ml (10 fl oz/1-1/4 cups) local beer, not too bitter
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
4 tablespoons heather honeySoak the mustard seeds in the beer overnight at room temperature.
When you’re ready to make the mustard, sterilise your jars and the lids in a large pot of boiling water.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the grains of the mustard seeds and then put all the other ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Stir through the reserved mustard seeds and spoon into the sterilised jars.
You can use it immediately but it’s better if left for a week before using as it mellows and amalgamates better.More from The Beer Kitchen:Beer Sausage Recipe
Fluffiest Falafel Recipe
Reprinted with Permission from The Beer Kitchen and Published by Hardie Grant Books.

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