Fish and Potato “Scotch Eggs”

This recipe is the basic recipe, first time I’ve attempted cooking what are essentially fish cakes wrapped round a quails egg. So changes that I could have made, use a smoked fish instead of fresh, chopped leeks in the potato, chilli flakes in the bread crumbs. This is a recipe to read, look at what you have and come up with your own recipe.

1 doz Quails Eggs
450gm Potatoes
300gm Fish
Sea Salt and Pepper

For covering the “Scotch Eggs” in separate bowls.
Flour
2 eggs
Bread crumbs

Start Quails eggs off in cold water, bring to the boil and continue to boil for 3 minutes.

After 3 minutes plunge into cold water to stop them from cooking further.

Crack and peel the eggs.

Peel and cut potatoes into chunks, boil for about 10 minutes till tender.

Put the fish into a saucepan with enough milk to cover the fish, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, turn off the heat and allow to cool, the fish will finish cooking in the milk.

Once the potatoes are cold enough to work with mash them.

Shred the fish removing any bones, and add to the mashed potato, mix them together and season.

Line up flour, eggs and bread crumbs, use 2 eggs and beat them.

Now this is the hard bit, put flour on your hands (you may have to do this often), grab a handful of the fish/pot mix roll the mix into your hand to make a ball, push an egg into the ball and mould the fish/pot mix around the egg, place on a floured plate.

Left hand, roll the “Scotch Egg” in the flour,

Still with your left hand put into the beaten egg.

Right hand, remove from the beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs.

When deep-frying Scotch Eggs (indeed any bread crumbed or battered food) remove the frying basket. If using an electric fryer use the area away from the element, you don’t want the food sticking to it. Use a slotted spoon to lower one scotch egg into the fryer, allow to cook to a light brown colour, then add a second, when the first egg is a deep brown remove that one, and add the next, once the second is cooked add the next, this stops food from sticking together.