My black pudding Scotch eggs are a great snack, and this classic combination of flavours are great served with a good mayonnaise or piccalilli, and of course are excellent when washed down with a good beer! They’re delicious warm, but are just as good cold at any time of day.
Place the black pudding, breadcrumbs, 1 egg and the oregano into a bowl. Using a fork, break down the black pudding and combine the ingredients evenly, season generously with salt and pepper and divide the mixture into 6 equal portions.
Bring a saucepan of water just to the boil, add the 6 eggs and cook for 6 minutes, which will give you a soft, creamy yellow yolk. Place the saucepan into the sink and run the cold tap over the eggs until they are cool, then remove the shells.
Use your hands to flatten one of the portions of black pudding into a rough disc, about 10–12cm in diameter, depending on the size of your eggs. Place a boiled egg in the centre and carefully shape the black pudding evenly around the egg, making sure to seal the joins well. Repeat this process with the remaining black pudding and eggs.
For the panne coating, set out 3 bowls. Put the flour into one bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs into another bowl, and place the breadcrumbs and dried oregano into the final bowl. Lightly coat each Scotch egg with the seasoned flour, then place it into the beaten egg, then roll it in the breadcrumbs. I like to repeat the egg and breadcrumb stages to get a thick, crunchy coating on my egg. Reshape the eggs so they are perfectly round, if required, then place them in the fridge to firm up.
Take a large saucepan and heat 15cm of oil to 175°C/345°F, or use a deep fat fryer if you have one. It’s hot enough when a 1cm square of bread turns golden in about a minute. Carefully place 2 or 3 eggs at a time into the oil; if you overload the pan the temperature of the oil will drop and you will end up with soggy eggs that stick together! Cook for 6–8 minutes, turning regularly to ensure that they are evenly golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.
