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Ben’s Canteen Scotch Egg

Bloody Bens Scotch Egg:

Bloody Bens was borne out of Ben’s Canteen. The Canteen was famous for Brunch and to complete the experience we needed to create a banging Bloody Mary which, after much experimentation, we absolutely nailed. The secret was the Spice Mix. Then customers started asking us to bottle it, and just before Christmas 2017, Bloody Bens was created.

Sadly the Canteen is no more, following the two years or so after the Brexit referendum, footfall began to reduce, spend went down and costs went up and up, so eventually, like so many other shops and restaurants, the business couldn’t carry on. However, the silver lining is that Bloody Bens continues!

The other day, we were going through the Canteen archives and came across some old recipes, so we thought we’d share them with you. Please note, these are chef specs rather than more precise home cooking notes, so bear that in mind, especially when you’re yearning for a bit more detail.

If you ask people what they remember about the Canteen then the chances are they will either reference Bottomless Bubbles or that Scotch Egg. The Scotch Egg was the first hero dish at the Canteen, it was pretty much the only reason people came in the early days and it was always a winner.

When we first started it was on the Brunch menu but it used to be a real pain to produce under the pump of weekend brunch, so, sadly, it got shifted to just being on the Dinner Menu. But whether for Brunch or Dins, this with a Bloody Mary is an absolute joy.

The recipe changed a bit over the years, the first incarnation was most likely the best but super complicated and in time it got simplified to this still absolutely delicious orb but Canteen OGs may fondly remember the magnificence of the original and as the recipe is lost, it will just have to be folklore.

Ingredients

Sausage Mix – helps make 5 Scotch Eggs

  • 500g Sausage Meat
  • 100g Streaky Bacon finely chopped
  • 100g Black Pudding chopped small
  • 10g finely chopped Chives
  • 10g blitzed Dried Mushrooms
  • 10g Mushroom Ketchup

Egg & Flour

  • 1 Soft Boiled Egg
  • 1Egg
  • 200g Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 100g Flour

 

Method

  • Mix all of the Sausage Mix ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Take 140g of the Mix and shape around a Soft Boiled Egg – FYI, when you’ve finished soft boiling the Egg, put it in iced water, this stops it cooking and is the key to that magic moment when you cut into your Scotch Egg and the yolk is still runny.
  • Dip your Sausage encased Egg into an Egg, then Flour and then Breadcrumbs.
  • At the Canteen it was then deep fried for around 8 minutes but at home you’re probably better off popping them in the oven at 180 for at least twenty mins.

 

  • Also, if you have any of the Sausage Meat Mix left over then shape it into a burger patty and fry and then you’ll have the ingredient for the most amazing Breakfast Bap.

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