Bombay Potato Scotch Egg
A vegetarian scotch egg recipe with an Indian inspired twist. This bombay potato scotch egg recipe is flavoured with chilli, ginger, cumin and mustard seeds.
From the book
My Kitchen Table: 100 Foolproof Suppers
100 failsafe recipes for delicious home cooking
Fresh ideas for midweek meals
Mouthwatering puddings to please a crowd
Introduction
Just when you think a Scotch egg couldn’t get better, this one’s vegetarian!
Ingredients
| 7 | eggs |
| 3–4 | garlic cloves |
| 3 | shallots |
| 3–4cm (1–½in) | piece of fresh root ginger |
| 1 | red chilli |
| 1kg (2lb 4oz) | Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes |
| 50g (2oz) | butter |
| 1 tbsp | rapeseed oil |
| 1 tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 tsp | mustard seed |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| Juice and zest 1 lemon | |
| A small bunch | of fresh coriander |
| 100g (4oz) | flour |
| 150g (5oz) | soft white breadcrumbs |
| Oil for deep-frying | |
| Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the spice mix: | |
| 1 tbsp | coriander seeds |
| 1 tbsp | fennel seeds |
| 3 | small dried red chillies |
| 1 tsp | mustard seeds |
| 1 tsp | cumin seeds |
| 1 tsp | whole black peppercorns |
| To serve: | |
| cauliflower or carrot purée, seasoned to taste |
Essential kit
You will need either a spice grinder, coffee grinder or pestle and mortar.
Method
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Cook five of the eggs for 6 minutes. Strain and leave to cool for 10 minutes in iced water, then peel.
To make the spice mix, toast all the ingredients in a hot, dry frying pan until they begin to smoke lightly. Remove from the heat immediately and leave to cool for a few minutes. Place the spices in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or pestle and mortar, and blend to a fine powder.
Finely chop the garlic and shallots, then peel and grate the ginger and seed and finely chop the chilli. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1cm cubes. Heat the butter and rapeseed oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook under a low heat for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add 1 tablespoon of the spice mix and cook for 1 minute.
Add in the potatoes and continue to cook, covered, on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and the outsides have broken up. Season with the lemon, fresh coriander and some salt and pepper, and leave to cool.
Shape the cooled potato mixture around the eggs; you want it to be about 1cm/½in thick. Beat the remaining eggs, then coat the potato-covered eggs first in the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil to 190°C (375°F) for deep-frying. Carefully place the Scotch eggs into the oil and cook for 2–3 minutes or until golden. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with a simple cauliflower or carrot purée, seasoned to taste.
