The Tickled Trout spiced Cornish cod Scotch egg recipe

I came up with this idea a few years ago. It was supposed to be an homage to a cod brandade that is famous in Portugal. I knew all the ingredients worked together but I’d never seen it assembled as a Scotch egg so thought, let’s have a go.

Ever since I did a demonstration of making this marvellous morsel at the Chatsworth Country Fair, we have not been able to take it off the menu at The Tickled Trout as it is so popular. If I don’t mind saying so myself, it’s pretty good!

This is a brilliant showpiece for any dinner party, the soft yolk oozing when you break through the crust and soft potato mix. The curry mayonnaise combines really well, just add a little of everything and keep adding to your taste, whether you like it a little more spicy or sweet, its entirely up to you. The process is similar if you are doing a traditional Scotch egg, just make sure you have really good sausage meat from your local butcher. Have a great month.

The Tickled Trout spiced Cornish cod Scotch egg

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

150g cod

6 free range eggs (Burford Browns or similar that have rich yolks)

2 baking potatoes

20g capers, chopped

20g gherkins, chopped

Plain flour (for dusting)

Panko breadcrumbs (for dusting)

Mayonnaise

Lingham’s chilli sauce

Sweet chilli sauce

Tabasco

Mild korma powder

Method

Boil the eggs for six minutes and then immediately plunge into iced water. Allow to cool and then carefully peel and place on a cloth.

Season the cod with korma curry spices and salt, enough to lightly cover it all, and cook this in the oven at 170°C for eight minutes. Take the cod out of the oven, allow to cool and then break into pieces.

Bake a couple of large jacket potatoes in the oven until soft and scoop out the middle. Squeeze the chopped gherkins and capers and finely dice. Add a knob of soft butter to the potato and mix all with the cod at a ratio of 2:1 potato mix: fish.

Roll into 120g balls, flatten the mix and then carefully wrap around the egg, don’t squeeze too hard.

Whisk a couple of eggs, have some flour and breadcrumbs at the ready. Start with flouring then dip into the whisked egg and finally coat in breadcrumbs.

Deep fry them for four minutes and then put in the oven for four minutes at 180°c or place them in the air fryer for six minutes. You get a better golden finish by frying.

Serve with curried mayonnaise – a simple mix of sweet chilli sauce, Tabasco, Lingham’s chilli sauce and korma powder.