PEOPLE think that Scotch eggs are a Scottish recipe, but they were in­vented by Fortnum & Mason in the early 18th century for coach travellers to eat on their journey. They are nice for picnics, and easy to handle when cut in half. This recipe uses fine breadcrumbs mixed with fine oat­meal — and a drop of whisky makes them even more special.

Scotch eggs

4 large hard-boiled eggs, cooked for 8 minutes and plunged into cold water
½ small onion, finely chopped
50g (2 oz) butter
1 dessertspoon finely chopped sage
grated zest of 1 lemon
225g (8 oz) Cumberland sausagemeat
1 medium egg for coating
1 dessertspoon Scotch whisky
sunflower oil for frying
100g (2 oz) fine fresh white breadcrumbs
100g (2 oz) fine oatmeal

Peel off the eggshells and leave the eggs in cold water. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the chopped onions until translucent. Let it cool and add the sage, grated lemon, and whisky, and season with salt and pepper. Mix this with the sausage­meat in a bowl.

Divide the mixture into four, place a piece of cling film on a board, lightly flour it, and place the sausage­meat on top, dusting it again with flour. Place another piece of cling film on top. Roll it out lightly with a rolling pin, thin but even, enough to cover the eggs. Remove the top cling film and lightly moisten your hands so the sausagemeat does not stick to them. Cover each egg with the mix­ture, smoothing the surface. Beat the remaining egg and roll each one in it, ready for covering with the bread­crumb mixture.

Mix the breadcrumbs and oatmeal in another bowl, and cover each ball with the crumbs. Put them on a plate, cover with cling film, and rest in the fridge for one hour. Don’t throw away the rest of the crumbs. After one hour, press them lightly into the rest of the crumbs.

Heat oil in a wok, and cook two eggs at a time until light brown. Drain, and repeat the process with the other two. Keep in the fridge.

Cumberland apple sauce (This goes well with the eggs)

450g (1 lb) Bramley apples, peeled and cored
knob of butter
50g (2 oz) light-brown sugar
½ teaspoon mixed spice
juice of ½ lemon
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water

Dice the apples into 2cm (½ in.) pieces, melt a knob of butter in a saucepan, and cook for a few minutes with the lid on over a moderate heat. The apples will soften. Throw in the rest of the ingredients, cook for a further ten minutes, and liquidise it. Let it cool before you serve it, and you can take it with you in a plastic container on your picnic to accom­pany your Scotch eggs, together with a few lettuce leaves and some crusty bread.