For food critic and writer Jimi Famurewa, the true taste of Christmas isn't found under the tree, but in the fridge. Amid the sanctioned chaos of festive leftovers and impromptu picky teas, one item stands as a constant: a hulking, golden-yolked half of a peppery homemade scotch egg. This spicy creation, crafted by his mother, has become his family's most sanctified food tradition, an essential anchor during the liminal Twixmas days.
The Heart of a Festive Forage
Famurewa describes the post-Christmas period as a time of glorious culinary anarchy, where plates become chaotic collages of cheese, ham, cranberry sauce, and cake. Yet, in his household, these fridge-forages always feature one non-negotiable element. "There is no Christmas without those boulderous, deep-fried orbs," he states, reflecting on a quarter-century of festive celebrations that have included everything from hospital stays to holidays in Florida.
The tradition began modestly, as a clever use for an accidental surplus of sausage meat destined for stuffing. It has since evolved into a potent winter pleasure. Famurewa recalls one memorable Christmas Day when he and his wife awoke at 1am to the scent of sizzling pork and his mother's cheerful announcement that the scotch eggs were finally ready.
A West African Culinary Connection
While Famurewa initially thought the scotch egg's Christmassy role was a unique family quirk, he discovered its popularity is well-established in parts of West Africa. Following the introduction of eggs by colonial missionaries in the 1920s and 1930s, scotch eggs became a favoured item at the Nigerian fast-food chain Mr Bigg's. In Cameroon, a local variation often features spiced mackerel instead of pork.
Famurewa's adaptation of his mother's recipe honours this spirit of adaptation, though he sticks with pork. The key to their distinctive kick is the "double scotch" method: the enlivening addition of scotch bonnet pepper and all-purpose seasoning to the sausage meat.
How to Make Jimi Famurewa's Festive Scotch Eggs
For those inspired to create this Twixmas essential, Famurewa shares his method. Begin by soft-boiling four medium eggs for seven minutes in well-salted water to achieve a fudgy yolk, then cool them in cold water. Prepare a seasoning paste by grinding together a teaspoon each of black peppercorns, fennel seeds, all-purpose seasoning, chopped fresh sage, and a quarter of a finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper.
Skin eight good-quality pork sausages (roughly 450g) and mix the meat thoroughly with the seasoning paste. Form the meat into four balls, then flatten each between cling film. Peel the boiled eggs, dust them lightly in plain flour, and encase each one in a sausage meat patty, sealing it into a tight oval.
Create a classic pane station with three plates: one with 120g plain flour, another with a beaten egg, and a third with 120g panko breadcrumbs. Coat each meat-wrapped egg in flour, then egg, then a thorough covering of panko. Fry in about two and a half inches of vegetable oil at 150°C for six to eight minutes, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
The result is a perfectly portable feast. Famurewa recommends serving them with piccalilli or brown sauce, alongside a chaotic plate of leftovers and, perhaps, a fistful of mid-tier chocolates. It's a recipe that embodies the labour of love and festive utility that makes these scotch eggs the perfect Twixmas companion.
Jimi Famurewa's book 'Picky' is published by Hodder & Stoughton at £20.
