Serves 4

Fresh quail eggs are now available from many butchers and delicatessens, and even some supermarkets. Although you can use the prepared eggs sold in jars, I think the flavour of the fresh eggs is far superior. The eggs only take 2-3 minutes to boil. Then plunge them into plenty of cold water before peeling. Quality sausage meat is also essential for this recipe – if it is too fatty, the mixture will break up.

12 quail eggs, boiled and peeled
300g sausage meat
1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
Freshly ground salt and pepper
2 large free-range eggs
100g fresh breadcrumbs
Groundnut oil, to fry

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

2 Place the sausage meat in a bowl, add the sage and season well. Mix to a smooth consistency; if necessary, add a little cold water to the meat.

3 Take a small piece of the meat – about the size of a ping-pong ball – and pat it into a round, flat cake. Carefully shape this cake around the egg – the process may take a couple of attempts the first time you try it, but then you should develop a technique.

4 Beat the free-range eggs in a bowl. Put the breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip the eggs first in the egg and then roll in the crumbs to coat.

5 Deep-fry the scotch eggs at 180C for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. An alternative way of cooking is to take a roasting tin large enough to accommodate all the prepared eggs and fill it to a 1cm depth with oil. Then cook the eggs for 7-10 minutes, shaking the pan every few minutes so that the sausage meat is evenly cooked. Remove the eggs from the oil and drain well on paper towel. Allow to cool, then chill them until required.

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