Smoked Haddock Scotch Eggs

Ingredients

Egg and smoked fish complement each other perfectly, especially when packaged up as a crisp, golden Scotch egg.

5 eggs plus 1 egg white
150 g skinless cod fillet, roughly chopped
150 g skinless smoked haddock fillet, chopped
1 Tbs chopped tarragon leaves
1 Tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Tbs chopped capers
Grated zest of 1 lemon
55 g plain (all-purpose) flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
70 g fine polenta
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Tartare sauce, to serve
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Carefully lower in 4 eggs and boil for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool quickly, then carefully peel them.

Blitz the cod, egg white and seasoning to a purée in a food processor. Add the haddock, and pulse to mix through. Transfer to a bowl and stir through the chopped herbs, capers, lemon zest and seasoning.

Divide into four portions (about 85 g), and flatten each into a 13 cm circle. Working with one portion and one egg at a time, dust the egg in the flour and place in the centre of the fish mixture. Use your hands to mould the mixture up and around, encasing the egg completely, patching where needed. Place on a plate lined with kitchen paper and chill for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Put the remaining seasoned flour and polenta in two separate shallow bowls. Dust each encased egg first in the flour, then in the egg and finally the polenta.

Heat the oil in a large, deep-sided pan to 180°C/350°F/ gas 4 on a thermometer (or test the temperature by dropping in a cube of bread – it will turn golden in 60 seconds when the oil is ready).

Deep-fry two eggs at a time for 8 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and briefly drain on kitchen paper. Serve warm with creamy tartare sauce.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Posh Eggs by published by Quadrille RRP $29.99 and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Posh Eggs by published by Quadrille RRP $29.99 and is available in stores nationally.