How to cook scotch eggs - in pictures

1. For the sausagemeat I've used my favourite traditional English mix of savoury, sage, allspice and black pepper - around 2.5g of each plus 5g of salt to 500g of pork Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

2. Chop the lot in a blender. Chunky is good for sausages but an absolute nightmare to wrap round a small, softish egg so go for a quite smooth finish Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

3. Carefully place room temperature, medium size eggs in a pan of boiling water. After four and a half minutes, whip them out with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

4. Peel the egg incredibly carefully. You may want to do this while they're stil immersed in the ice water. Roll out your sausage meat between sheets of greasproof paper. I've also rolled out a slice of black pudding to add an experimental extra layer to one egg Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

5. Carefully fold the meat around the egg and seal it up Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

6. Blitz some stale sourdough into coarse breadcrumbs ... Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

7. … then dip the meat-encased egg into a beaten egg wash, roll in the crumbs and repeat Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian

8. Fry in oil 3cm deep at 180C for 5 mins then hold in a 180C oven for another 5. Serve, while still hot, to rapturous applause Photograph: Tim Hayward/Guardian