RECIPE: HOW TO DO PRAWN TOAST SCOTCH EGGS

Two of your favourite nibbles are combined in one crunchy, crispy, gooey-in-the-middle snack with Ravinder Bhogal’s prawn toast scotch eggs.

RECIPE PRAWN TOAST SCOTCH EGGS

Dificulty: Medium
Portion: Makes 12
Time: Hands-on time 45 min, cooking time 15 min

Ingredients

3 tbsp white wine vinegar
12 quail eggs
400g raw sustainably sourced king prawns, peeled
3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp chilli flakes, toasted for a few minutes in a dry pan
1 tsp light soy sauce
5 spring onions, finely chopped
125g uncooked Thai or Chinese prawn crackers
100g panko breadcrumbs
150g plain flour for coating
3 medium free-range eggs, beaten
Groundnut or vegetable oil for deep frying
Bowl of iced water; food processor; a digital probe thermometer would be useful, too

Step by step preparation

Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Meanwhile mix the vinegar into the bowl of iced water and have it on standby. Lower the quail eggs into the boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the eggs and put them in the iced vinegar water. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then peel the eggs and set aside.
Put the prawns, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, toasted chilli flakes and soy sauce in a food processor and whizz until you have a coarse, sticky paste. Mix in the spring onions, then divide the prawn mixture into 12 equal portions.
Put the prawn crackers in a clean food processor bowl and whizz to a breadcrumb consistency. Mix with the panko breadcrumbs and put in a shallow bowl or tray. Put the plain flour and beaten eggs into 2 more separate shallow bowls.
Wrap each quail egg in a portion of the prawn mixture. The easiest way to do this is by rolling it into a ball, then flattening it into a disc large enough to wrap around the egg. Gently press the edges together over the top of each egg to seal, being careful not to squash the delicate egg inside.
Once all the eggs have been wrapped in the prawn mixture, roll them first in flour, then coat in the beaten egg, then roll in the cracker/breadcrumb mix. For extra crunch, roll in egg and breadcrumbs again.
Heat the oil a deep, heavy-based saucepan (no more than half-full) to 180°C. (If you don’t have a digital probe thermometer a cube of bread added to the pan will turn golden in 30-40 seconds at this temperature.) Line a baking tray with kitchen paper. Use a slotted spoon or frying basket to lower the scotch eggs into the hot oil, then fry, in batches, for 3 minutes. Lift out carefully using the slotted spoon/frying basket and set on the lined tray to drain. Serve warm as a nibble.

RECIPE: HOW TO DO PRAWN TOAST SCOTCH EGGS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SZECHUAN PORK

RECIPE: HOW TO DO ROASTED, SPICED SWEET POTATOES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO STIR-FRIED CHICKEN AND NOODLES IN PLUM SAUCE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO STIR-FRIED BEEF IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO STICKY SESAME AND SOY CHICKEN TRAYBAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO VEGAN TOFU STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SWEET AND SOUR BEEF NOODLES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO LEFTOVER ROAST LAMB STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO CRISPY TOFU STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO PRAWN POPPADOMS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO ORIENTAL MUSHROOM AND PAK CHOI STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SZECHUAN SALMON WITH PINK PEPPERCORNS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO VEGETABLE AND SWEET CHILLI SPRING ROLLS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SESAME SEED CRUSTED CHICKEN STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO KEN HOM’S CRISPY FISH SPRING ROLLS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO CHINESE ORANGE BEEF STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO MIMI MEI FAIR’S ‘HOKKIEN’ NOODLES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO KEN HOM’S STEAMED CHICKEN WITH CHINESE SAUSAGE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO PRAWN AND PEPPER STIR-FRY

RECIPE: HOW TO DO STUFFED BITTER MELON WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE