Recipes

Scotch Eggs with Pickled Onion Salad

Scotch eggs are a wonderfully satisfying meal and are always a hit at dinner parties. Chickpeas, mushrooms and panko breadcrumbs are combined to create a new version of this classic dish. They truly bring the holidays to the next level.

Serves:
6
Prep Time:
30 min
Cook Time:
10 min

Ingredients

Scotch Eggs

  • 8 eggs
  • ⅓ lb ( 0.2 kg ) cremini or white button mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 cups ( 375 mL ) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 315 mL ) Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp ( 15 mL ) curry powder
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) salt
  • Oil for deep frying (canola, peanut, etc.)

Curry Mayo (used half of these amounts):

  • ½ cup ( 125 mL ) mayonnaise
  • ½ tbsp ( 7.5 mL ) white wine vinegar
  • ½ tbsp ( 7.5 mL ) lime juice
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) curry powder
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) salt

Pickled Onion Salad

  • ¼ cup ( 60 mL ) rice wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup ( 60 mL ) sugar
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) salt
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 cups ( 750 mL ) pea shoots
  • 1 cup ( 250 mL ) fresh cilantro

Instructions

Scotch Eggs

  1. Boil 6 eggs in their shell for 5 ½ minutes. Run cold water over eggs until cooled and gently remove the shell. Put aside.

  2. In a food processor, roughly grind the mushrooms. Add the chickpeas and grind finely. Add breadcrumbs, curry powder, salt and remaining 2 eggs. Mix until well combined.

  3. Divide the chickpea mixture into 6 equal portions. Dampen hands and knead a portion of the mixture until it is ½ inch thick. Place an egg in the middle and cover with the mixture. Gently hand-roll and seal the cracks by pinching. If the mixture becomes sticky, dampen hands again. Repeat with the remaining eggs and mixture. Set aside while preparing mayonnaise and salad.

  4. In a deep saucepan or casserole, heat oil to 350°F (180°C) and fry eggs for 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve each egg on a nest of the salad with a dollop of curry mayonnaise.

Curry Mayonnaise

  1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients. Cover. Can be stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Pickled Onion Salad

  1. In a small saucepan, gently bring the vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil. Place the onion in a glass bowl or non-reactive bowl (ceramic or stainless-steel) and pour the hot vinegar over the onion. Mix well and cover. Let cool 2 hours or preferably all night.

  2. When serving, combine onion and mixture with pea shoots and coriander. Stir and utilize immediately.

Notes

Prepare the eggs and the mayonnaise up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerate, covered. Fry the eggs just before serving. Pickled onions can be prepared up to a month in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The recipe can easily be doubled and they are delicious served with cold cuts or in sandwiches.