Scotch egg with mushroom ketchup

Ingredients

• 4 large free-range eggs

• 275g/10oz sausage meat

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• 1 spring onion, very finely chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 125g/4oz plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 free-range egg, beaten

• 125g/4oz breadcrumbs

• Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Method

Place the eggs, still in their shells, in a pan of cold salted water. Then place over a high heat and bring to the boil cook for six minutes.

Drain and place the eggs under ice cold running water, then peel. Mix the sausage meat with the thyme, parsley and spring onion in a bowl and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Divide the sausage meat mixture into four and flatten each out on a clean surface into ovals about 12.5cm/5in long and 7.5cm/3in at its widest point.

Place the seasoned flour onto a plate, then dredge each boiled egg in the flour. Then place each onto a sausage meat oval, then wrap the sausage meat around each egg. Make sure the coating is smooth and completely covers each egg.

Dip each sausage meat-coated egg in the beaten egg, rolling to coat completely, then dip and roll into the breadcrumbs to completely cover. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan, until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

Carefully place each scotch egg into the hot oil and deep-fry for seven minutes, until golden and crisp and the sausage meat is completely cooked. Then carefully remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Garnish with some seasonal leaves and serve with mushroom ketchup.