Ingredients

• 1 star anise
• 150ml/5fl oz pomegranate juice
• ½ tsp sweet potato flour (available online)
• 1 tsp light
• reduced-salt soy sauce
• ½ tsp Sichuan pepper
• 50g/1¾oz sweet potato flour
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 100g/3½oz panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 50g/1¾oz sweet potato flour
• 30g/1oz smoked bacon lardons
• finely chopped
• 30g/1oz unsmoked bacon lardons
• finely chopped
• ½ spring onion
• finely sliced
• 2 free-range quails’ eggs
• boiled for 4 minutes
• cooled and peeled
• 200g/7oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
• stalks removed and cut into 15mm thick slices (or left whole if small)
• vegetable oil
• for deep-frying
• 50g/1¾oz pomegranate seeds
• to garnish
• 15g/½oz hazelnuts
• toasted and roughly chopped
• to garnish
• 4 pinches shichimi togarashi chilli mixture
• to garnish
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
• 85g/3oz cavolo nero
• leaves cut into 15mm slices and stalks very finely sliced
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 50ml/2fl oz vegetable stock

Directions

• For the sauce
• place all of the ingredients in a jug and whisk well to combine. Place in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and once cool
• remove the star anise but keep it aside for decoration later.
• Combine the ingredients for the seasoned flour in a shallow bowl and the ingredients for the seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl. For the batter
• mix the flour with 50ml/2fl oz of cold water in a shallow bowl until combined.
• For the quail Scotch eggs
• mix the lardons and the spring onion in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of the batter mixture and stir to combine. Dip the quail eggs in the flour
• then the batter and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Preheat a deep-fat fryer or deep saucepan of vegetable oil to 160C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Dip the mushrooms in the flour
• then the batter and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
• Fry the quail eggs for 3–4 minutes and the mushrooms for 2–3 minutes in the oil
• until crispy and golden. Carefully remove using a slotted spoon and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle over the shichimi togarashi and cut the eggs in half once cooled.
• For the cavolo nero
• place a wok over a high heat until smoking. Add the rapeseed oil
• sea salt and ginger and heat
• shaking gently
• for a few seconds. Add the cavolo nero and pour in the Shaoxing rice wine and stock. Stir-fry for a minute or so
• or until the leaves are just wilted.
• Transfer the cavolo nero to four warmed serving plates. Spoon over the deep-fried mushrooms
• add the quail egg halves and dress with the pomegranate sauce. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts and decorate with the star anise. Serve immediately.