Scotch Egg

As many as you have eggs for, but I’m making 7

11 eggs (that’s 1 egg per scotch egg – plus 2 eggs for every four)
700g of sausage-meat (that’s 100g/3½oz per egg)
7 tablespoons of mixed herbs (1 tablespoon per scotch egg) – chives, sage, parsley and thyme are favourite English herbs. More if you wish.
7 teaspoons of English mustard powder (1 per scotch egg)
Plain flour/all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs – 100g/3½oz
Panko breadcrumbs – 100g/3½ oz
A splash of milk to loosen the egg wash
Beef dripping to fry
Mix the sausage-meat with the fresh herbs and English mustard powder. Shape into 100g/3½oz balls.

Place your pricked eggs into a saucepan of simmering water for 1 minute, remove from the heat and allow to sit in the warm water, lid on, for 6 minutes. Plunge into iced water and leave until completely cold. Peel.

Set up your conveyor belt. One bowl of seasoned flour. One of lightly beaten eggs, loosened with milk. A third of breadcrumbs. An optional fourth of spiky panko breadcrumbs for added crunch.

Flatten your sausage-meat balls and place a floured egg in the centre. Bring the sausage-meat up and around. Gently roll between your hands to make a neat ball.

Coat with flour, then the egg wash, and then the breadcrumbs. Back into the egg wash and a final coating of breadcrumbs/panko breadcrumbs.

Fry at 160ºC for 10 minutes.

Place the cooked scotch eggs on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. (2ooºC/400ºF)

Drain on paper towel.

Eat.