Pea Scotch Eggs

If you’re short on time, use cooked, peeled quail eggs. You won’t get runny yolks, but they’ll still go down a treat.

Hands-on time 45min, plus cooling and chilling. Cooking time about 35min. Makes 12

• 12 quail eggs • Vegetable oil, to fry • 3 shallots, finely chopped • 250g frozen peas • 1½tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves • 40g Parmesan cheese or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated • 40g plain flour • 2 medium eggs, beaten • 60g fresh white breadcrumbs

1 In a medium pan of boiling water, cook quail eggs for 2min exactly. Lift out using a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool completely. Carefully peel eggs (they will feel soft); this will take a while! Set aside.

2 Heat 1tsp oil in a medium frying pan over low heat and fry shallots for 5-8min, until softened. Add peas and cook until defrosted, about 2min. Empty into the small bowl of a food processor with the mint and some seasoning. Whizz until fairly smooth.

3 Empty mixture into a bowl and mix in the cheese. Cool.

4 Dampen your hands. In

the palm of one hand, flatten a heaped tbsp of the pea mixture. Put a quail egg in the centre and carefully draw up the edges of the mixture to encase it – this is a little fiddly, but have patience. Carefully roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining eggs and pea mixture (re-dampening your hands as needed). Set balls on a baking tray, loosely cover and chill for 30min.

5 Put flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs into 3 separate shallow bowls. Coat each pea ball in flour (shake off excess), then egg, then breadcrumbs.

6 Fill a large, heavy-based,

deep pan with oil so that it’s 7.5cm deep. Heat oil to 180°C.

7 Using a slotted spoon, lower 6 Scotch eggs into the oil and cook for 2min exactly. Lift out on to kitchen paper. Repeat with remaining Scotch eggs, monitoring oil temperature as you go. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve. PER CANAPÉ 97cals, 5g protein, 6g fat (1g saturates), 5g carbs (2g total sugars), 1g fibre GET AHEAD Fry up to a day ahead. Cool, cover and chill. To serve, transfer to a baking tray, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4; reheat for 5min (yolks will be cooked through).