Leek, Chive And Caper Scotch Eggs
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We've been anticipating a cookbook release from London's beloved vegetarian restaurant Mildreds for quite some time now. It's not that we don't love the animal protein–heavy cuisine of the Brits; sometimes you just need a little roughage, and that's what Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook aims to do. Even Scotch eggs get the royal treatment.
The Scotch egg is not, as its name suggests, from Scotland; it was invented by the London department store Fortnum & Mason in 1738. Despite its popularity, the egg's reputation has deteriorated over the years due to the proliferation of poor-quality supermarket varieties. It's a shame because, if cooked fresh with the yolks left slightly runny, they are unbeatable.
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large leeks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 bunch of chives
- 2 1/2 tablespoons capers
- 8 large eggs, plus 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- oil
- Blanched asparagus
- Salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 3 large shallots
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 1/4 sticks cold butter
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the leeks, and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just tender. Let cool, then add to the mashed potatoes along with the mustards, chives, and capers. Stir to combine and let cool.
- While the mixture is cooling, cook the whole eggs in a saucepan of boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water, then shell. Divide the cooled potatoes into eight equal portions. Arrange the flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs in shallow bowls. Roll the eggs in the flour. Flatten a portion of mashed potatoes with your palm and fold it around the egg to form a ball. Roll this in the flour, then dip it into the beaten egg and roll it in the bread crumbs. Set on a platter, repeat with the remaining eggs, then let chill in the fridge.
- For the beurre blanc, bring the wine and shallots to a boil in a saucepan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by two-thirds. Reduce the heat, add the cream, and slowly add the butter, whisking continuously, to form a smooth sauce. If it looks like the sauce is going to split at any point, add a little more cream. When all the butter is mixed through, remove from the heat, stir in the mustard, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.
- Half-fill a large saucepan or deep-fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 350°F, or until a cube of bread added to the oil browns in 30 seconds. Cook the eggs in batches for 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve with the blanched asparagus, drizzled with the mustard beurre blanc.