Haddock scotch quail eggs

Step 1

Bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Carefully place the quail eggs in and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water.

Step 2

Put the haddock, 3 tbsp of the beaten egg, the lemon zest, parsley and plenty of black pepper in a food processor. Pulse to a medium-smooth paste.

Step 3

Carefully peel the quail eggs and set aside. Divide the fish mixture into 6 even balls. Take one of the balls in the palm of a lightly wet hand and flatten out into a disc, then place a quail egg in the centre. Encase the egg completely and evenly, trying to make sure it's the same thickness all the way around. Repeat with the remaining eggs and fish mixture.

Step 4

Roll each haddock-coated egg in the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs, making sure they are evenly coated. Repeat with all 6 eggs then chill, covered, until ready to cook. You can prepare these up to 24 hours in advance.

Step 5

Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C. Carefully place the Scotch eggs in the oil, allow to fry for 1-2 minutes, then carefully turn them so all sides fry to an even golden brown (about 5-6 minutes in total). Transfer to a piece of kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Serve with the tartare, seafood or hollandaise sauce.