Lauren - Picnic

Herbed baked Scotch eggs 

 Lorraine Pascale - Home Cooking Made Easy

So, my week to pick an ingredient or idea and I chose picnic. I do not think there is anything better than digging out my hamper basket and a blanket and eating al fresco. We have been treated to some delights this year at Canary Wharf so we have enjoyed wine, cheese and a few goodies outside. Also, at Hyde Parks British Summer Time me and Jacqui shared a chorizo scotch egg and thus got me a thinking......

There are however a few things you should note about the recipe below;

1. I did not read it through before I began so I put the thyme in with my flour, it did not seem to make much difference taste wise.
2. I did not see the recipe called for mustard powder, ok, I was having a bad day.
3. You get better with practice, my third attempt was by far my best.
4. I doubled dipped my eggs to get more breadcrumbs on my eggs but still seemed to have less of a crust than Lorraine's.
5. One of my eggs 'exploded' in the oven, but still tasted FAB!!!!

Ingredients

Oil, for oiling and drizzling 

4 medium eggs

1 egg, lightly beaten

75g natural or golden dried breadcrumbs

Small handful of fresh thyme leaves

Pinch a ground nutmeg (optional)

Plain flour, for dusting

Pinch of mustard powder

6 good quality sausages with their 'skins' removed

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with oiled foil. Put the whole eggs in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Once the weather is boiling, turn it down to a robust simmer and cook for 5 minutes. when the eggs are ready, remove the pan from the heat, take it to the sink and run cold water over the eggs for a minute or two to stop them cooking. Peel the eggs and set aside.

Put the lightly beaten egg in one bowl and the dried breadcrumbs, thyme and nutmeg along with a bit of salt and pepper in another bowl. season the flour with salt, pepper and mustard powder.

Put some clingfilm on the work surface, take 1 1/2 sausages and squidge the meat down on the clingfilm. Squish it until it becomes a roundish flat circle, then take the egg and dip it into the seasoned flour. Put the egg in the middle of the sausage meat and draw up the clingfilm around it so you have a little 'sac'. This is a great way of covering the egg with the sausagemeat and i find it beats trying to do it without. Now carefully peel away the clingfilm, leaving the sausagemeat around the egg. You may need to squish it down and around slightly on the egg if there are any gaps.

Now dip the meat-coated egg into the lightly beaten egg, making sure it is covered all over, then dip into the breadcrumbs, rolling it around and pressing to secure any bits that are not sticking properly. Place the scotch egg on the prepared baking tray and repeat with the remaining three eggs. Spray or drizzle a little oil over the eggs, then cook in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the sausagemeat is cooked and the scotch egg looks golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

These are lovely to take to work, or just to have in the fridge as a treat. 

Just out the oven and one "exploded". 

Lorraine's, oh well just an excuse to make more. As they say "practice makes perfect".