Video | Arancini Scotch egg

Arancini scotch eggs with butternut squash puree and wild mushrooms

Each winter, we have one day a week in our catered chalets where we serve vegetarian food. This winter, we want something that is really going to wow even the most committed carnivores and we think the Arancini Scotch egg does that. We LOVE scotch eggs so this is a great way of getting them onto the menu but with our own special twist. We are making it really seasonal as well by serving it with butternunt squash and wild mushrooms, which bring some fantastic sweet and woody flavours to the dish along with a stunning splash of colour. This dish is Kat’s favourite for this winter and we think it’s going to be a real show stopper so we hope you like it too!

See the full written recipe below

Risotto

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400g arborio rice
• 1 stick celery, finely diced
• 1 leek, finely diced
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 litre organic veg stock
• large knob butter
• 200ml white wine
• 75g parmesan, grated (or Rennet-free cheese if you are vegetarian)
• chives
• parsley
• 100g breadcrumbs (use up old baguettes or sliced white bread but make sure it is processed to fine crumbs).
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• salt & pepper

Method

• Heat the stock. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, trim and finely chop the celery. Finely grate the Parmesan.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil and 1 small knob of butter over a low heat, add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry gently for about 15 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.
• Add the rice and turn up the heat – the rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After 1 minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the wine and keep stirring.
• Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of sea salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside.
• Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes.
• Taste the rice — is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
• Finish cooking it once the rice is fully cooked and it is quite sticky, not too wet. It should be very well seasoned as it needs to be salty enough to season the egg it is wrapping as well.
• Spread it out onto trays to let it cool quickly.
• Fill a bowl with cold water and ice. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and carefully lower in the eggs. Boil for 5- 5.5 minutes (do a test run to make sure you have the timing right), then transfer to the iced water.
• Carefully peel the eggs.
• Take a handful of rice and pat it flat in your palm. Lay an egg in the middle and shape the rice around the outside, gently rolling it between your palms to firm. Repeat with the remaining eggs and chill for 30 minutes.
• Line up three bowls, the first containing the flour, the second the beaten eggs, and the third the breadcrumbs. One at a time, coat the risotto balls in flour – shaking off any excess – then in egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Cover and chill until ready to cook.
• In a large pan, heat the oil to about 170C or until a cube of bread sizzles and turns golden in 30 seconds. Carefully drop in the risotto balls, 2-3 at a time, and fry for 4–5 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen roll and keep them warm while you cook the rest of the dish

Butternut squash puree

Ingredients

350g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

Splash rapeseed oil

Salt & pepper

Method

• Place the cubes of butternut squash onto a large piece of aluminium foil, drizzle over a good splash of rapeseed oil, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Mix well to coat the butternut squash in the oil, then gather the edges of the aluminium foil together and scrunch together to form a loose parcel
• Place the parcel onto a roasting tray and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the butternut squash has softened
• Puree in a blender – adding a little water to loosen it if necessary. It should be quick thick though so don’t add too much.
• Get ready to serve on to the plate

Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 150g girolles
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 tablespoon sage leaves, finely shredded
• Lemon

Method

• Brush the mushrooms with a pastry brush to remove any dirt clinging to them and trim of any tough ends. Cut or tear them in half or thirds or even quarters if they are large mushrooms.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pan until it foams and then add the mushrooms. Saute them until they are beginning to colour and then transfer to a bowl to keep warm.
• Just before serving, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan and once it foams add the sage. Finish it with a squeeze of lemon.

Rocket, hazelnut & asparagus salad

Ingredients

• 100g Hazelnuts (unblanched)
• 250g asparagus, trimmed
• 4 tbsp walnut oil
• 90g rocket
• 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp caster sugar

Method

• Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan (or in the oven) then remove and roughly chop. Cut each asparagus spear into three. Heat 1 tbsp of the walnut oil in the frying pan and gently fry the asparagus for 5–6 minutes, until just tender.
• Combine the rocket, asparagus, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds in a salad bowl.
• Whisk the remaining oil with the vinegar, mustard, sugar and a little seasoning and spoon over the salad.

To serve

• Spoon a large dollop of the butternut puree into the centre of a bowl or plate. Place the egg on top.
• Spoon round the mushrooms and then finish with a generous drizzle of the sage butter.
• Serve with dishes of the salad on the table.