scarlett moffatt’s scotch eggs with fresh herbs & a spicy kick
Serves 6 Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes Ingredients: l 1 sprig fresh rosemary l 1 sprig fresh sage l 600g higher-welfare pork shoulder, diced l 1 whole nutmeg, for grating l 1 pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper l 3 anchovy fillets in oil, from sustainable sources l 8 large free-range eggs l 100g plain flour l 200g breadcrumbs l 3 litres vegetable oil, for frying
1 Pick the rosemary and sage leaves into a food processor, add the pork shoulder, a good grating of nutmeg, the smoked paprika or cayenne, the anchovies and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then blitz to combine. Cook 6 of the eggs in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then remove to cold water, carefully peeling as soon as cool enough to handle. 2 Meanwhile, line up three shallow bowls – place the flour in the first, beat the remaining eggs in the second, and tip the breadcrumbs into the third. Divide the meat mixture into six, and roll into balls. Place a ball on the palm of your hand, then pat and flatten until it’s big enough to wrap around the egg. Place a peeled egg in the centre and mould the meat up and around it, sealing the egg inside so you end up with a perfectly round ball. Coat it in flour, dunk it in the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, then roll in the breadcrumbs until well coated. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then chill for 30 minutes. 3 When you’re ready to cook, just under half-fill a large sturdy pan with oil – the oil should be 8cm deep, but never fill your pan more than half full – and place on a medium-high heat. Use a thermometer to tell you when it’s ready (170°C), or add a piece of potato and wait until it turns golden – that’s the sign that it’s ready to go. Carefully lower one Scotch egg into the pan – after about 8 minutes it should be golden and perfectly cooked, so scoop it out, drain on kitchen paper and cut it in half to check your timings, then cook the rest, in small batches, adjusting the time, if needed. Delicious served with a dollop of English mustard, a wedge of Westcombe Cheddar, piccalilli, a few salady bits, and – of course – a nice, cold beer. Happy days!
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°f/gas 4. Place the whole garlic bulb in the oven for 1 hour, or until softened, then remove. To make the pineapple salsa, trim and peel the pineapple, cutting out any brown scraggy bits, then slice into wedges, removing and discarding the core. Dry fry in a large frying pan over a medium heat for around 4 minutes, or until gnarly and charred, turning occasionally. Finely chop, then place in a bowl with all the lovely juices. Peel the onion, pick the mint leaves, then finely chop with the chillies (deseed if you like) and scrape into the bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, then taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, and put aside. 2 For the guacamole, peel the red onion, trim the spring onions, then roughly chop with the chillies (deseed if you like) on a large chopping board. Halve, deseed and add the tomatoes, destone the avocados and scoop over the flesh, then pick over most of the mint leaves. Chop and mix it all together until fine and combined, then squeeze the lime juice over it and drizzle with 1tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil. Season to perfection, giving it one final chop. 3 Very finely slice the red cabbage on a mandolin. (Use the guard!) Finely slice the jalapeño, then scrunch it all in a bowl with the vinegar to make a slaw. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins, then mash and fold them into the soured cream. Squeeze in the lime juice, add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, then season to perfection. Pick, finely chop and stir in the parsley leaves. Wrap the tortillas in tin foil and warm them in the cooling oven. 4 Drain the cannellini beans and put them into a frying pan on a medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they start to pop and blister. Place in a bowl and keep warm. Wipe the pan out and return it to a medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Season the haddock fillets and finely grate over the lemon zest, then cook skin-side down for 4 minutes, pressing down lightly with a fish slice. Turn over for a further 3 minutes, or until slightly golden and just cooked. 5 Divide up the tortillas and top each with a spoonful of guacamole and slaw. Flake over the fish, then top with the pineapple salsa, garlicky soured cream and crispy beans. Pick, chop and scatter over the remaining mint, and serve with sliced chilli and lime wedges.