Fried duck's egg sandwich

Serves 4

(Jason Lowe)

I created this sandwich after the conversation with my friends in which we lamented the lack of good egg sandwiches available in the shops. We often do an alternative duck-egg mayonnaise in the restaurants by deep-frying the duck's egg – and in a sandwich it creates a lovely texture with the combination of that crisp exterior and the slightly soft yolk.

4 duck's eggs
1tbsp plain flour
1 hen's egg, beaten
40-50g fresh white breadcrumbs
Vegetable or corn oil for deep frying
4 soft baps or buns
A few leaves of crisp lettuce like iceberg or gems, washed and shredded
6-8tbsp good-quality mayonnaise

Soft-boil the duck's eggs by carefully placing in simmering water for 5 minutes, depending on their size, then refresh in cold water (if the duck's eggs are very large you may need to give them an extra minute or so). Once cool enough to handle, peel them, ensuring you have removed all of the shell.

Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160-180C in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan or electric deep-fat fryer.

Have 3 dishes ready, one with the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, one with the beaten egg and the third with the breadcrumbs. Carefully pass the eggs through the flour, shaking off any excess, then the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the eggs for about 2-3 minutes or until golden, turning them as they are cooking, then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper.

Halve the buns, then mix about half of the mayonnaise with the lettuce and spoon on to the bottom half of the buns and spread the rest of the mayonnaise on the top of the bun. Cut the eggs half-way through; place on the lettuce and top with the other half of the bun.