GREEK-STYLE SCOTCH EGGS WITH ROMESCO SAUCE
Makes 6
7 eggs
170g fine grain bulgur wheat
A pinch of ground turmeric 450g good-quality pork sausages ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tbsp ground cinnamon Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste A handful each of flat-leaf parsley and coriander, freshly chopped Grated zest of 1 lemon
About 260g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp mild chilli powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 500ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying For the Romesco sauce:
1 slice of white bread
1 garlic clove
50g walnuts
80ml olive oil
100g roasted red (bell) peppers 25g sundried tomatoes
A pinch of sugar
1 tbsp tomato purée
A pinch of smoked paprika
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, freshly chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (Fan 160°C/gas mark 4). First, make the Romesco sauce. Put the bread, garlic (skin on, left whole) and walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 mins. If the walnuts still have some skin on, I gently rub them together in my hands and most flakes off, but don’t worry about getting it all off.
2 Pour two-thirds of the olive oil into a food processor with all the other ingredients, after peeling the garlic and trimming the stalk end off. Pulse, taste for seasoning, then fold through the remaining olive oil. Cover and chill.
3 To make the Scotch eggs, put six eggs in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4 mins. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and, once cooled, peel. Set aside until needed.
4 Put the bulgur and turmeric in a large heatproof bowl and pour in 250ml boiling water. Cover and leave to hydrate for 20 mins. Then tip on to a plate and leave for 30 mins.
5 Snip the ends off the sausages and squeeze the meat out into a bowl. Add the cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, herbs and lemon zest and season generously. Mix well.
6 To assemble your Scotch eggs, whisk the remaining egg in a bowl and place it next to a bowl containing flour and chilli powder. Divide the sausage meat into six portions. Dust the cooked eggs in flour. Flatten one portion of the meat into a flat round about 1cm thick, place an egg in the centre and fold the sausage meat around it, massaging it into place until fully sealed. Roll in the flour, then the egg, then the bulgur. Repeat until you have six ready to cook.
7 Pour the vegetable oil into a deepsided pan and set it over a medium heat. The oil is hot enough when a pinch of bulgur dropped in sizzles. Put a Scotch egg on a slotted spoon and carefully lower it into the oil. Cook for a few mins before gently turning it over in the oil. After 6-7 mins it will be golden and cooked. Remove and drain on paper towels. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving, with the sauce on the side.
From ‘Share’ by Theo Michaels (£16.99, Ryland Peters & Small). Photographs: Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small