black pudding scotch eggs
There are few things more british than sitting in a nice warm pub on a cold rainy winter’s day, a pint of ale in hand, and a warm scotch egg on the table. Soft centered egg, wrapped in meat and seasonings, crusted and deep-fried. It’s a truly wonderful thing, the scotch egg, and, when done right, can be one of the best things to snack on.
For me, using black pudding instead of plain sausage meat is something that takes the scotch egg up a level. I think the rich flavour and heavy spicing of a good quality black pudding is the perfect companion to the lovely rich egg yolk, however, feel free to go your own way on this. I also love a spoon of wholegrain mustard on the side but, again, to each their own.
This recipe made 4 big scotch eggs, as I like to go a little heavy on the meat to egg ratio. Feel free to try splitting to 5 or 6 eggs, if you want to have a thinner layer of meat.
for the scotch eggs
350g black pudding
130g pork mince (20% fat if possible)
60g breadcrumbs
4 large eggs
1tbsp chopped parsley
salt & pepper
for the crust
100g plain flour
1 egg
150g breadcrumbs
+ plenty of vegetable oil to cook in
method
Start by putting the black pudding in a large mixing bowl with the minced pork, breadcrumbs, parsley, and a little salt and pepper.
Mix this all together until it is fully incorporated, then divide into 8 evenly sized balls (or, double the amount of scotch eggs you’re planning to make).
Flatten each ball into a disc, then set to one side.
Next, let’s cook the eggs.
Bring a pan of water to a boil, then cook the eggs for 6 minutes. This should result in the perfect runny yolk.
Remove the eggs from the boiling water and run under a cold tap until they are cool enough to handle.
Peel away the shells carefully, then place the peeled eggs to one side.
Now, hold a disc of meat into the palm of your hand, place a peeled egg on top, then put another meat disc on top of that.
Slowly and carefully bring the edges of the two met discs together to surround the egg, smoothing it to fill any gaps and even it out. Make sure that the seam is completely sealed, to avoid the egg from breaking apart when you cook it.
Repeat with the rest of the eggs until you have all your scotch eggs formed.
Now, bring a pan of vegetable oil (enough for your scotch eggs to be able to be completely submerged) to a high heat. The oil is ready when it turns a sprinkle of breadcrumbs brown in 20-30 seconds.
Meanwhile, prepare your crust. Place 3 bowls on your counter, the first with the flour, the second with the eggs (beaten), and the third with the breadcrumbs.
Roll your scotch eggs in the flour to fully coat them, then roll them around in the egg. Finally, roll them in the breadcrumbs to fully coat them, then gently place them into your oil.
Fry each egg for around 5 minutes, rotating as you go to get an even cook, until the breadcrumbs are a lovely golden brown.
Remove from the oil and drain them on a bed of paper towels for around 5 minutes.
Eat whilst warm for the best experience, or store in an airtight container for a day or two, at most.
