Beef Scotch Eggs with Mustard Yoghurt & Apple Slaw

Carefully lower 4 eggs into a saucepan of gently boiling water. Simmer for 9–10 minutes for set centres, then transfer to cold water for 5 minutes. Peel carefully and pat completely dry. Keep the fifth egg for the coating.

While the eggs cool, heat the oven to 150°C fan / 170°C conventional. Tear the bread onto a tray and dry for 10–12 minutes until crisp but not dark, then cool and blitz finely. The full original bread weight is counted in the nutrition.

Mix the beef with 2 tsp mustard, parsley, paprika and half the pepper, just until combined. Divide into four equal 75g portions. With damp hands, flatten each between baking paper into an approximately 12cm disc. Place a dry peeled egg in the middle and carefully draw the beef around it. Pinch every seam closed and gently roll to an even shell, without bare patches.

Beat the remaining egg in a shallow bowl. Dip each beef-wrapped egg in it, allow excess to run back, then press into the crumbs to coat all sides. Use the crumbs across all four. Chill for 15 minutes to firm the coating. Discard any coating mixture that has contacted raw beef; the estimate counts all of it.

Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Brush all four Scotch eggs evenly with the measured 2 tsp olive oil in total. Cook in one layer with gaps for 20–25 minutes, turning carefully halfway. Use batches if needed. Check the beef shell in the thickest part using a clean probe: 75°C for at least 30 seconds, or 70°C for 2 minutes. Cook longer if required; a golden crumb alone does not show that the beef is cooked.

Mix the yoghurt with the remaining 2 tsp mustard and remaining pepper. Toss the cabbage, carrots and apple with all the lemon juice. Serve one Scotch egg per person, cut into two halves, with one-quarter of the slaw and 40g of the yoghurt mixture.