Scotch Eggs

Ingredients

• 900g minced/ground pork
• 8 eggs
• Enough breadcrumbs to coat
• Enough vegetable oil for frying (see below)

Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6

Method

1. Fill a pan with water, bring it to the boil, put in 6 of the eggs and boil them for 11 minutes.
2. Drain the eggs and fill the pan with cold, running water. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, turn off the running water and tap each of the eggs on the side of the pan to slightly break the shell, then return them to the cold water for 10 minutes until they are cold. (Breaking the shell help to release the vacuum created when the egg is cooling, making it easier to remove the shell later.) Once the eggs are cold, peel off the shell.
3. Season the pork with salt & pepper and divide it into 6 equally sized portions of 150g each.
4. Divide each portion into two and press each out into flat patties. Then put one egg on top of one patty and put the other patty on top of the egg.
5. Pick the whole thing up and push the edges of the two patties together, enclosing the egg. Then smooth out the join and form the pork around the egg to create an even thickness of pork surrounding the egg. Put them in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
6. Whisk up the remaining two eggs and put the breadcrumbs onto a flat plate, then remove the formed scotch eggs from the fridge. One at a time and carefully so as not to deform the pork, coat each of them in the beaten egg before gently rolling it in the bread crumbs to completely coat it. Again coat it in the beaten egg and once more gently roll it in the breadcrumbs to give it a second coating.
   
7. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
8. When all of the scotch eggs have been coated, return them to the fridge and, in a deep frying pan or wok, heat up enough oil to come halfway up the side of the scotch eggs.
9. When the oil is hot (test it by dropping in some breadcrumbs, if they start bubbling immediately, the oil is hot enough), remove the scotch eggs from the fridge and carefully place them in the oil using a slotted spoon. Cook them on one side for 7 minutes before turning them over and cooking the other side for a further 7 minutes. You may need to cook several batches to avoid over crowding the pan.
10. After the scotch eggs have been fried place them on a baking tray and put them in the oven for 10 minutes.
11. Serve, either hot or cold.

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Useful Information

Can it be frozen? No.
Can it be prepared in advance? Yes, up to 1 day to stage 6.
Will leftovers be nice? Yes, for up to 3 days.

Notes