Scotch egg with homemade vegetable crisps
This is James Martin’s easy take on pub snacks - great to prepare for a night in with friends.
Ingredients
- 6 free-range eggs
- 400g/14oz good-quality Lincolnshire sausages, skins discarded
- 50g/1¾oz plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100g/3½oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely sliced on a mandoline
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and finely sliced on a mandoline
- 2 raw beetroot, finely sliced on a mandoline
- 2 carrots, finely sliced on a mandoline
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 jar ready-made piccalilli, to serve
Method
Boil four of the eggs in a pan until soft-boiled (about 5 minutes). Drain the eggs and transfer to a bowl of iced water. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until cold, then drain and peel.
Roll the sausage meat into a ball, then divide into four equal portions. Wrap one portion of sausage meat around each soft-boiled egg, covering each egg completely.
Sprinkle the seasoned flour onto a plate. Beat the remaining twi eggs in a bowl. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto another plate. Dust each Scotch egg first in the flour, then dip into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until completely coated. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. (Reshape just before frying.)
Heat a deep-fat fryer to 160C/320F. Alternatively, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (Caution: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Carefully lower the Scotch eggs into the hot oil and fry for 7-8 minutes, or until the coating is golden-brown and the meat is cooked through. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, then set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm.
Carefully lower the sliced vegetables into the hot oil in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, then set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, cut each Scotch egg in half and serve with a handful of vegetable crisps and a dollop of piccalilli.