Scotch Egg

Boil the centre eggs for a soft set: lower them into boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes for a jammy yolk, then plunge them into iced water. Peel carefully — the whites are delicate at this stage.

💡 Iced water stops the cooking dead, so the yolk stays soft instead of turning powdery. Six minutes gives a set white and a runny yolk; go to 7 if you want it firmer for easier handling.

Season the sausage meat with the herbs, mustard, salt and pepper. Divide it into four, and flatten each portion into a thin oval on a piece of cling film.

Sit a peeled egg on each oval and use the cling film to wrap the meat up and around it, sealing it into an even, seamless layer with no gaps or thick patches.

💡 Any gap in the meat lets the egg burst out in the oil, and a thick patch stays raw. Even coverage is the whole job — take your time here.

Roll each wrapped egg in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs, pressing so the crumbs stick all over. For an extra-crisp shell, dip in egg and crumbs a second time.

Heat the oil to 170°C and fry the eggs two at a time for 6–7 minutes, turning, until deep golden and the sausage is cooked through. Drain on a rack and rest 2 minutes before cutting.

💡 170°C is the sweet spot: hot enough to crisp the crumbs, gentle enough to cook the sausage layer through before the crust burns. Too hot and you get a dark shell around raw meat.

Cut in half to show the yolk and serve warm or cold with English mustard.