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Middle Eastern Scotch eggs with tahini yoghurt

Recipe for Middle Eastern Scotch eggs with tahini yoghurt.

By Emma Knowles
  • 40 mins preparation
  • 15 mins cooking plus cooling and resting
  • Serves 8
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Middle Eastern Scotch eggs with tahini yoghurt
We've added Middle Eastern flavours to classic Scotch eggs and served them with a tangy yoghurt dipping sauce. We like our yolks a little soft, but if you prefer hard-boiled, cook the eggs for a minute longer. These are great as a snack or served with warm flatbread, a rough tabbouleh and pickled chillies for a more substantial meal.

Ingredients

  • 9 eggs, at room temperature, 1 lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ Spanish onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 850 gm minced lamb
  • 50 gm fine burghul, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
  • 2 tbsp each finely chopped fresh coriander and mint
  • 2 tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground chilli
  • ½ tsp dried mint
  • Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
  • For dusting: plain flour
  • For deep-frying: vegetable oil
  • 100 gm fine fresh white breadcrumbs
  • To serve: lemon wedges
Tahini yoghurt
  • 250 gm thick plain yoghurt
  • 50 gm hulled tahini
  • 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • To serve: sumac

Method

  • 1
    Boil 8 eggs (6½ minutes for soft-boiled), then drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain again, peel and refrigerate until required.
  • 2
    Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and sauté until tender (2-3 minutes). Cool, then combine in a bowl with lamb. Drain burghul, squeeze out excess liquid and add to lamb with herbs, spices and lemon rind, season to taste and mix well with your hands. Divide mixture into 8 portions, then flatten each with your hands to about 1cm thick. Dust an egg lightly in flour, place in the centre of a round, then form the lamb mixture around the egg, rolling to enclose and seal completely. Place on a tray and repeat with remaining mixture and eggs, cover and refrigerate to rest for 1 hour.
  • 3
    Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 150C and place beaten egg, flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dip meatballs first in beaten egg, then flour, then breadcrumbs, shaking off excess in between. Deep-fry in batches until golden all over and cooked through (7-8 minutes). Drain on paper towels and season to taste.
  • 4
    For tahini yoghurt, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and scatter with sumac to taste. Serve Scotch eggs with tahini yoghurt and lemon wedges.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: Rich Scotch ale.
Drink suggestion by Max Allen