Starter Light Bites

Smoked Haddock and Seaweed Scotch Egg

Some people believe that scotch eggs originate in Whitby, where William J Scott & Sons are said to have invented 'scotties' - hard-boiled eggs wrapped in fish, rather than sausagemeat, before being covered with breadcrumbs. This is a modern take on that traditional classic!

30 minutes, plus cooling time prep, 30 minutes cook

Serves 5

Ingredients

5 Medium Clarence Court Burford Browns

1 litre milk

2 bay leaves

5 peppercorns

20g flat leaf parsley

400g smoked haddock fillet

30g unsalted butter

6 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g plain flour

100g dried panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for deep fat frying

Method

Boil 4 eggs for 5 to 6 minutes for soft boil. Once cooked put the eggs into a bowl of iced water. Once cooled, carefully peel and place in the fridge.

Place the milk in a shallow pan. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and a few parsley sprigs. Bring to a medium heat and allow to steam but not bubble. Place the haddock in the milk and poach for 5 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, place a small frying pan on a low heat and add the butter followed by the spring onions. Saute for 5 minutes until soft but not browned. Remove the haddock to a plate, peel off the skin and flake the fish into a mixing bowl.

Add the cooked onions to the mixing bowl. Finely chop the parsley and 1⁄2 teaspoon seaweed and add to the mixture. Stir well and allow to cool, then transfer to the fridge ideally for an hour or two.

Prepare three dishes; one with flour, one with the remaining beaten egg and one with breadcrumbs and the remaining seaweed.

Blitz the haddock mixture in the food processor and stir in a splash of milk. Split the mixture into 4 and carefully pack around each egg, then pat into a ball.

Dust each ball all over with flour, roll in beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs. Place on a plate and leave in the fridge.

Add the oil to a large heavy based saucepan until it reaches 2/3s of the way up the pan. Place the pan on a medium heat. Test the heat with a piece of potato; once it’s golden you can start frying.

Fry the eggs in batches for 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen roll to remove excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve with mayonnaise and a seasonal salad.