Chicken and Tarragon Scotch Egg

This dish is an entry for The Egg Award 2013 by chef Hugh McGivern


You can enter your own recipe for The Egg Award 2013 by clicking on this link




What does Hollywood action movie star Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson , King Abdullah ll of Jordan and The Egg Award 2013 have in common?  Chef Hugh McGivern of course!  He's been personal chef to both and he's entered his Chicken and Tarragon Scotch Egg for this years debut competition!

He's already entered his Chocolate Latte Egg Nog (which is delicious) so we'll let him take up the story.

The eggs are from the same source at my friend Catrionas small holding near Auchterarder in Perthshire, all the chooks run aboot without a care in the world, between the legs of her Black Highland Cattle at times she tells me (but thankfully no fatalities).

The original recipe used Quails eggs and I'm sure that Pheasant or even Duck eggs would be good.

Chicken & Tarragon "Scotch Egg"

Ingredients

4 Fresh Eggs

1 Fresh Chicken Breast

15ml double cream

1 tsp fresh tarragon

salt & pepper

50g fresh breadcrumbs

25g fresh coconut

25g plain flour

1 egg beaten with a little milk.

Method

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and pop each egg onto a spoon and place into the pan, when all eggs are in and the water comes back to the boil, cook for 3 minutes then remove and plunge into cold running water for 5 minutes.

Remove any fat and sinew from the chicken breast and cut into dice, place into a food processor and whizz up. remove from the machine and empty into a bowl, fold in the cream, tarragon and a little seasoning, allow to chill in the fridge for 1/2 an hour.

Shell the eggs and pat dry, divide the chicken mousse into 4 and with an oiled hand pat flat then cover the egg ensuring there are no holes.

Place the beaten egg and milk into 1 bowl, the breadcrumbs and coconut in another and finally seasoned plain flour in the 3rd.

Pass the egg firstly through the flour, patting off any excess then into the egg mix and finally into the coconut mix, ensuring they are thoroughly coated.

Heat a fryer to 180c and place the eggs into the basket then lower into the hot oil, fry for at least 5 minutes shaking the pan occasionally, turn onto kitchen paper and allow to drain and cool slightly before devouring.

These are great summer picnic items and best to make enough for 2 each as they are really yummy.

The Table of Zekki

Tim Zekki is a chef and foodie who spent many years as a chef in Italian restaurants, and later specialising in tapas and mediterranean food, with a particular interest in the food of his homeland, Cyprus.

In 2009 Tim set up a deli in South West London.  Within seven months customers had voted Tim onto the shortlist of Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Hero on TV.  Tim was the only deli chef in the London area to make it into the finals on television.

In 2010 Tim opened a second deli in Twickenham’s picturesque Church Street.  At the end of 2011 Tim sold both deli businesses in order to concentrate on what he loves best – cooking, which he writes about in his food blog.  This week it featured a fascinating and incisive write up about how much we know about what we eat.

April 25th 2013 The Table of Zekki

This last week has been an eye opener for me. Like many people, I’ve chosen to eat organic where possible, with the vague notion that it’s to avoid pesticides, or chemicals. I’ve also been thinking that what I eat, and what others eat, is a matter of personal taste.

I’ve balked at the amount of sugar in fizzy drinks that I see young kids knocking back, and winced at the sight of already overweight people chomping through McDonald’s fries and shakes on the tube. But I still thought we all had a choice.

It turns out I was wrong.....and you can read rest of this article by clicking on this link.

This year, 2013, Tim is opening a new venture, which is all about great food from good provenance, meat raised by free range organic principles and sustainability and recycling, an ethos mirrored in The Egg Award 2013.

Cater Source - a website for food professionals

Cater Source is a website for all things food and drink.  They've been good enough to feature The Egg award 2013 on their site and their featured chef this week is Egg Award judge Ernst an Zyl.

It's a website that sources contributions from food industry professionals. They hope you'll enjoy the site and the content published. Maybe, it just may inspire you.

There are regularly changing guest contributors like Zuvu Fresh Fish and Seafood Bar  based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.


They currently operate two wet fishmongers shops which are open 5 days a week in the small Doncaster suburb towns of Tickhill and Bawtry.   As well as serving seasonal and sustainable wet fish to take away they also have seating areas at both outlets where customers can enjoy anything from simple Fresh Crab Salads to Large Seafood Platters accompanied by a glass of ice cold beer or wine.  In both shops they have a selection of great books which can be perused before making a purchase.  Their aim is to get the people of South Yorkshire enjoying the great produce which is available from coastal waters.



There's a regularly updated Job Board and Cater-SourceUK  are in partnership with GRH Relief Chef Services Ltd.  They advertise the same positions as you would find on their own website.

Should you take interest in any of the positions listed contact Gradyn at grhreliefchef@aol.com






There's a weekly guest blog, an online forum where chefs and industry professionals can chat or air grievances, featured recipes and news on what's in season.  The site is run by chef James Maulgue who entered a professional kitchen at the age of 14 as a kitchen porter, earning a bit of money in the evenings & weekends. 

His love for the industry grew from that. Watching the pass, seeing chefs work together to create exciting dishes & the exceptional 'banter' being thrown about. No windows, no natural light, high temperatures, long hours, flaring tempers. It's hard to believe the industry can appeal so much to a person, but it did. 

From there he started to become so interested in food, it became an ambition. 




Over the years he learned so many things. The industry still enthralls him and gave him the idea to create a website that extends to anyone with interest in catering & hospitality. 

Thus began Cater Source. A website that sources contributions from industry professionals.