Scotch Egg with Hint of Spice

Scotch Egg with Cumin, Coriander and 

Edwards of Conwy Sausage Meat

Scotch Egg with Edwards of Conwy Sausage Meat

Recently my children have taken a liking to Scotch Eggs bought in our local Supermarket.  Not that this is a bad thing as Scotch Eggs are very taste but as anything massed produced they can be full of preservatives etc.  I decided to make my own and they were much easier to make and according to my children much tastier.

Edwards of Conwy Sausages

For these scotch eggs I have used sausage meat from a local company Edwards of Conwy.  I have known the owner, Ieuan Edwards, for a few years and I know he only uses the best quality cuts for his sausages.

Ingredients makes 4 Scotch Eggs

For the Sausage Mixture
6 sausages (400g skin removed)
parsley about 10g chopped finely
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds

I have added cumin and coriander to add a little bit of spice to my scotch eggs.  I roasted the seeds then ground them to a powder.

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and use your hands to mix the ingredients together well

Sausage Meat mix

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and place 4 Free Range eggs into the boiling water. Remove after 5 minutes and place in a bowl of cold water.  After they have cooled the egg shells should easily peel off.  Once you have done this place to one side.

You will now need to prepare the coating to the scotch eggs.

I used 6 slices of bread, lightly toasted and then blitzed in a food mixer to prepare the breadcrumbs. Once done place in a bowl.

In a second bowl place three table spoons of flour in a bowl and add a teaspoon of salt and pepper and mix together.

Finally in a third bowl I cracked two eggs and then mix well.

Now you are ready to make the scotch eggs.  Separate the sausage mix into 4 equal parts then place the first lot of sausage meat in one hand and flatten out to make a patty.  With your other hand dip the egg into the flour and roll about until all the surface area is covered in flour.  Then place the egg into the centre of your patty.  Fold the sausage meat around the egg.

Now dip the scotch egg into the egg mixture and roll around to ensure the whole surface is coated.  Then dip into the bread crumbs.  Repeat the egg and bread crumbs process until you have a good covering for your scotch egg.

Scotch Eggs coated with breadcrumbs

Repeat the process for the remaining three eggs.

I deep fried my scotch eggs at a temperature of 180C for 4 minutes and served them with some home made chips, scummy was my daughter's comment.

Scotch Eggs ready to be eaten with some home made chips

Spar Llanrwst Local Shop or Multinational chain?

Llanrwst Spar

Local or Not?

Spar Llanrwst

I grew up just outside Llanrwst in a small village called Trefriw.  My father, at that time managed the local Llanrwst branch of the Midland Bank, as it was called then, now HSBC.  I therefore have fond memories of this market town attending the local high school and probably one or two of the local pubs in my late teenage years.  

Once I left the area to attend college, for a number of years afterwards I lost contact with the the area. But about 12 years ago when I ran a small business producing traditionally made ready meals I was looking for outlets that I could supply.  I heard on the grapevine that the owners of Spar Llanrwst, Justin and Sara McIlveen, were someone I should contact as they supported local producers.

Like many I had always thought of Spar as a big chain and quite unapproachable.  But in fact Spar as a concept has many facets.  Spar is a multinational retail chain operation but the shops are mainly independently owned retailers operating under the Spar banner of which Spar Llanrwst is one.  There is approximately 12,500 Spar stores in 35 countries worldwide.  The Spar stores was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan van Well, and through its independent retailing network of stores it operates in most European countries, parts of Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Justin and Sara McIlveen - 2014 Spar Retailer of the Year Winners

Some of the Spars you see on the UK high street are owned by one of 5 larger individually owned companies that operate the wholesaling side of things as well.  Spar Llanrwst even though independently owned by Justin and Sara but operating under the Spar banner are able to call on the buying power of Spar to stock their store but at the same time stock and support local producers.

Jones o Gymru Crisps at Spar Llanrwst

As previously mentioned the first time I met Justin was when I wanted to persuade him to stock my traditionally made ready meals.  I gave him a ring and arranged to meet him at his Llanrwst Store.  I do not know until this day how it happened but I must have nicked my finger somewhere on my way into the store.  Before I knew it I was sat down in his office when I noticed I was bleeding all over his floor.  Justin was as good as gold got me a plaster, got a mop out and the mess was cleared up in no time.  We then sat back down, he had a look at my products and without hesitation he said when could I start supplying his stores.  I went on to supply his three main shops, Llanrwst, Rhos-on-Sea and Penmaenmawr for quite a few years afterwards until I sold my business in 2008.

Llaeth y Llan Yogurts

I moved away from the food sector after 2008 for a number of reasons but in recent times my interest has peaked again, hence this blog.  I was therefore interested to meet Justin again when he got in touch recently, to see if he had carried on with his enthusiasm for local products.

Halen Mon at Spar Llanrwst

He invited me over for a coffee a few days ago and he proudly showed me around his store.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only did he still stock local products but the range had increased considerably from when I was last in his store.  Available now in his store are locally made crisps, yogurts, milk, cakes, cheeses, sausages, bacon, cawl (soups), beers by the dozen, cider, even goat meat and I have received a tweet since my meeting saying he is expecting a first delivery of rose veal. The suppliers stocking his store are established names such as Llaeth y Llan, Edwards of Conwy, Blas ar Fwyd, Siwgr a Sbeis, Cenarth Cheese, Snowdonia Cheese, Conwy Bragdy, Halen Mon and more but also some of the more recent suppliers are Glasfryn Bacon, Jones o Gymru Crisps, Blodyn Aur (Rapeseed Oil), Conwy Goat Meat and as mentioned Barcut Rose Veal.

Glasfryn Bacon

Yes it is true that Justin and Sara can call on the multinational Spar for many of the products they stock but there is no doubt that they are both proud of the fact that their stores in Llanrwst, Penmaenmawr and Rhos-on-Sea are locally owned independent stores.  I am also quite sure that there is more of a variety of locally produced Welsh products on the shelves of spar Llanrwst and it's sister shops than you might find in either Tesco, Asda or any of the other multinational Supermarkets.

Edwards of Conwy Sausages and Bacon

I can highly recommend a visit to Spar Llanrwst and I look forward to visiting some of the suppliers of these fantastic local produce.  Also to hear some of their background stories and to try and cook with some of the products they produce.

Beers by the dozen at Spar Llanrwst

Birchgrove Eggs from Trawscoed Mid-Wales

A Selection of Welsh Cheeses in the chiller section of Spar Llanrwst

Welsh Rapeseed Oil ideal for cooking or as a dressing.