Salone-style Scotch Eggs is a traditional Sierra Leonean recipe for a classic dish of boiled eggs with a potato, fish and spice coating that's breaded and deep fried. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sierra Leonean version of: Salone-style Scotch Eggs.
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Scotch eggs are very popular as a snack or a picnic component throughout West Africa. From the fish-based varieties of Sierra Leone to the spicy versions of Nigeria. This is the fish-based Sierra Leonean recipe for these tasty classics.
Ingredients:
4 ripe plantains, peeled and cut into ovals at a bias
3 medium waxy potatoes peeled, two cut into chips (fries) and one kept whole
4 bonnies or 6 large sardines, cleaned and scaled with fins and removed
5 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
1 raw egg
80g breadcrumbs
6 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
2 Maggi cubes, crumbled
1 tbsp all purpose seasoning
salt, to taste
1 habanero chilli, pounded to a paste
1 tbsp tomato purée
3 slices onion
oil for deep frying
Method:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan. Stir in the tomato purée followed by the pounded chilli. Fry for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate to cool.
Season the fish with 1 Maggi cube, crumbled, 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, 1/2 tsp black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Mix well to coat then place in a pot and steam in their own juices, covered, for 5 minutes then transfer to a mortar.
Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the whole potato and eggs and boil for about 15 minutes, until the potato is tender. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and set aside for 5 minutes before peeling.
Chop the boiled potato and add to the fish along with the fried chilli and tomato purée mixture. Season with 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning, 1/2 tsp black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Pound everything together to form a paste. Add the onion slices and pound into the mixture.
Crack the egg into a bowl and beat lightly. Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl.
Take some of the fish and potato paste, flatten against your palm, dust with flour then use to coat the first hard-boiled egg. Set aside on a plate as you coat the next egg. Repeat until all the eggs have been covered.
Put the flour on a plate and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Take the first egg and dip in the flour then in the egg. Roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. I like a nice thick coating of breadcrumbs so I dip back in the egg then coat in the breadcrumbs again.
Once all the breadcrumbs have been coated set aside on a plate. Heat oil for deep frying in a deep fryer, wok or deep pan. When the oil is hot drop in the Scotch eggs and deep fry for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper as you fry the chipped potatoes (about 3 minutes) and then the plantains (about 3 minutes). The plaintains should be golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Serve the scotch eggs warm and accompany with the chips and fried plantains.
