Now dip the meat-coated egg into the lightly beaten egg, making sure it is covered all over, then dip it into the breadcrumbs, rolling it around and pressing to secure any bits that are not sticking properly. Place the Scotch egg on the prepared baking tray and repeat with the other three eggs. Spray or drizzle a little oil over the eggs, then cook in the oven for about 20–30 minutes, or until the sausagemeat is cooked and the Scotch egg looks golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
These are lovely to take to work, or just to have in the fridge as a treat.
Caramelised spiced nuts
I like to make a big jar of these spiced nuts and pop them on the shelf to grab on the go when I fancy a naughty tasty snack.
Makes about 600g
300g granulated sugar
450g mixed nuts, like cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp paprika, plus extra to taste if necessary
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to taste if necessary
1 tsp ground cumin, plus extra to taste if necessary
300ml water
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
Put the sugar, nuts, salt and spices in a medium pan with the water and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat a little and simmer the mixture rapidly for about 15–20 minutes until the bubbles become thick and syrupy.
Strain the mixture through a colander set over a bowl (use oven gloves when handling the pan, as hot sugar can spit and splutter and burn you), then tip the nuts onto the prepared baking tray and spread them out in a single layer. Bake the nuts in the oven for 20 minutes, or until toasted.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and harden before breaking the nuts into small pieces. Sprinkle with more spices if required. Store in an airtight container for a few days if not eaten straightaway.
Any leftover syrup is delicious drizzled over ice cream or on a poached pear.
Duvet day chicken noodle soup
Supreme comfort eating and good for the soul, too! The essence of a very good soup is a really good stock, jam-packed full of flavour. Homemade is best, but a decent liquid chicken stock bought from the shop works well too.
Serves 4–6
1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed, sliced and separated into white bits and green bits
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 x 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
6 black peppercorns
Sea salt flakes
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 stick of celery, trimmed and sliced into thin matchsticks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
150g quick-cook thin noodles
Small bunch of fresh basil leaves
Small bunch of fresh mint leaves
1 lime, cut in half
Put the chicken stock into a large pan with the spring onion whites, garlic, chilli, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns and a good amount of salt. Bring to a simmer, then carefully slide the chicken breasts in and cover with a lid. Cook for 12 minutes, then throw in the celery and carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste the soup and season as necessary.
Remove the chicken, cinnamon stick and star anise from the soup with a slotted spoon and at the same time put the noodles into the broth and cook, uncovered, for as long as needed.
While the noodles are cooking, flake the chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks. Just before the noodles are ready, put the chicken back into the broth to heat through and taste the soup again to check if you need any more seasoning.
Rip up half of the basil and mint leaves, stir through the soup with the spring onion greens and then divide the soup among 4–6 bowls. Scatter the remaining herbs over the top and squeeze a little lime juice over each one to finish.
Pea soup with minted mascarpone
There is always a bag of peas or petit pois in my freezer. Peas are my vegetable of choice and I serve them most days of the week. The other thing I always have in abundance is mint. If you have ever tried to grow it, you will know the ease with which it slowly takes over the garden, winding its way through and over everything else in its path. The supply manages to keep up with demand; we are a mint-loving family and use mint in salads, teas, the odd alcoholic beverage and, of course, in soups. Serve this soup hot with a big chunk of fresh bread slathered with butter.
Makes 1.5 litres, serves 6
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
1kg frozen petit pois
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A small handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
4 dollops of mascarpone (about 150g)
Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan and add the peas. Cover with a lid and allow it to return to the boil. I always put a lid on while waiting for it to boil, as it speeds up the process quite considerably. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the peas are tender, then remove the pan from the heat.
Working in batches, blitz the peas and stock in a blender until smooth. Pour each batch into a clean pan as you go. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper, then reheat it gently over a low heat.
Meanwhile, stir the mint through the mascarpone until well blended.
Once the soup has been heated through, divide it among serving bowls, put a dollop of the minted mascarpone on each one and serve piping hot.
Hot & spicy Bloody Mary soup
The morning after the night before in a steaming hot bowl of soup. Of course, the Vodka at the end is entirely optional but it does add a nice alcoholic kick, should the mood take you! I am not normally a fan of tomato soup, but this one is really full of flavour and will be one to remember.
Makes about 1.2 litres, serves 4–6
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and sliced
500g ripe tomatoes (about 5 vine or plum tomatoes), roughly chopped
1 litre tomato juice
3 squirts