Scotch Egg

Method

1. Bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil and lower in 1 fridge-cold egg. Boil for exactly 6 minutes for a set white and softly runny yolk, then lift straight into iced water. Leave for 5 minutes, then peel very gently under a trickle of cold water and pat dry.
2. In a bowl, work 125 g of sausage meat together with 0.25 tsp of ground mace, 0.25 tsp of chopped thyme, a good pinch of sea salt and plenty of black pepper until evenly seasoned and slightly sticky.
3. Lay a square of cling film on the work surface and press the sausage meat out into a disc about 12 cm across and 5 mm thick. Sit the peeled egg in the middle, then use the film to draw the meat up and around it, sealing the joins with damp fingers so the casing is even all over with no cracks.