Buffalo Scotch Quail Egg Sando

Ingredients

• 2 Chicken breasts (frozen and cubed for blending)
• 4 oz Streaky bacon (frozen and blended)
• 0.5 cup Panko breadcrumbs (for the meat mix)
• 1 Egg yolk (for the meat mix)
• 12 Quail eggs (boiled and peeled)
• 200 g Chillies (for fermentation)
• 6 clove Garlic (for fermentation)
• 1 Onion (for fermentation)
• 1 Mango (for fermentation)
• 3 % Salt brine (3% salt by water weight for lacto-fermentation)
• 1 Lime juice (for hot sauce)
• 0.25 cup Vinegar (for hot sauce)
• 2 tbsp Oil (for hot sauce)
• 500 g Bread flour (for the loaf)
• 4 tbsp Butter (softened, for bread dough and sauce finishing)
• 1 cup Seasoned flour (dry mix for breading)
• 1 cup Wet batter (spiced wet mix for breading)
• 2 cup Coleslaw (for assembly)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the lacto-ferment: Place chillies, garlic, onions, and mango into a jar. Cover with a 3% salt brine and let ferment at room temperature for one week.

2. 2

   After one week, drain the solids from the brine (reserve the brine). Place the fermented solids into a blender with lime juice, vinegar, and oil. Blitz until smooth and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

3. 3

   Create the sourdough starter: Mix a portion of the reserved fermentation brine with flour to create a quick starter. Let it sit for three days until active.

4. 4

   Make the bread dough: Mix the starter with flour and water to form a simple dough. Perform a series of stretch and folds over several hours.

5. 5

   Fold softened butter into the dough, mix thoroughly, and let it rest. Roll the dough out, spread some of the mango hot sauce inside, roll it up to seal, and place in a loaf pan to rise.

6. 6

   Dust the risen loaf with flour and bake until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Slice into thick pieces.

7. 7

   Prepare the meat: Freeze chicken breasts and streaky bacon slightly, then cube and blend in a food processor until it forms a super fine meat paste.

8. 8

   In a bowl, combine the meat paste with spices, seasonings, panko breadcrumbs, and one egg yolk. Mix until cohesive.

9. 9

   Boil quail eggs for exactly 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to an ice bath. Crack the shells and return to the water for easier peeling.

10. 10

    With wet hands, take a portion of the chicken-bacon mix and wrap it around a peeled quail egg, sealing it completely to form a ball.

11. 11

    Prepare a spiced wet batter and a seasoned dry flour mix. Dip the chicken balls into the wet mix, then the dry mix to coat thoroughly.

12. 12

    Deep fry the coated balls in hot oil until the exterior is golden brown and crispy and the chicken is cooked through.

13. 13

    Toss the fried scotch eggs in a mixture of melted butter and the mango hot sauce.

14. 14

    Assemble the sandwich: Place a layer of coleslaw on a slice of the fermented bread, top with the buffalo scotch eggs, add more hot sauce, and top with another slice of bread.

Notes

The lacto-ferment brine acts as a 'jump starter' for the sourdough, significantly speeding up the process compared to a traditional wild starter. Ensure the chicken and bacon are partially frozen to achieve the 'meat paste' consistency without the fat melting from the friction of the blender blades.

Nutrition per serving

• sandwich
• hot sauce
• lacto-fermentation
• scotch egg
• british food
• comfort food
• sourdough
• quail eggs