Scotch Eggs with Fresh Herbs

Begin by hardboiling the eggs by placing them in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them by about 1cm.

Bring the water up to simmering point and put a timer on for 7 minutes.  Then cool them rapidly under cold running water. Let the cold tap run over them for about a minute, then leave them in cold water till they're cool.  You can also watch how to hard boil and shell eggs in our Cookery School Video on the right.

Next, mix the sausagemeat with the spring onions and herbs and season well. (If you're using sausages, just slit the skins lengthways and peel them off). Then shell the cooled eggs and coat each one with some seasoned flour. Divide the sausagemeat into four portions and pat each piece out on a floured surface to a shape roughly 5 x 3 inches (13 x 7.5 cm).

Now place an egg in the centre of each piece and carefully gather up the sausagemeat to cover the egg completely. Seal the joins well, and smooth and pat into shape all over. Next, coat them one by one, first in beaten egg and then thoroughly and evenly in the breadcrumbs.

Now heat 1½ inches (4 cm) of oil in a deep frying pan up to a temperature of 350-375°F (180-190°C). (If you don't have a thermometer, you can easily test the temperature by frying a small cube of bread – if it turns golden brown within a minute, the oil is hot enough.) Put the eggs into the oil and fry for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently until they have turned a nice brown colour. Drain on crumpled baking parchment of greaseproof paper.