Fried goose eggs with St George's mushrooms and black pudding

Serves 4

St George's mushrooms are the first British mushrooms to pop up. Their arrival time depends on our temperamental weather, but they should be available in specialist shops at the moment. They have a firm meaty texture similar to that of a flat-cap mushroom without the black spores under the cap. Open cup mushrooms or quartered field mushrooms can be used instead.

250-300g St George's mushrooms or flat mushrooms
60g butter
4 goose eggs
Olive oil or duck fat for frying
1tbsp chopped wild garlic leaves (optional)
12 x 1cm thick slices of good quality black pudding

Melt the butter in a heavy, or non-stick, frying pan, add the mushrooms, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and gently sauté them on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes until cooked. Add the wild garlic, remove from the heat and keep warm in a low oven. Meanwhile fry the black pudding for a minute on each side and put in the oven with the mushrooms.

Melt a little olive oil or goose fat in the pan – it must be a good, non-stick one – and crack in the goose eggs one at a time (they are big). If you have more than one pan it helps. Place three slices of black pudding in the egg white before it sets and continue to cook the eggs on a low heat for 3-4 minutes or longer if you get squeamish at the thought of those overwhelming yolks. Remove the eggs with a fish slice or slide them out straight on to plates and spoon the mushrooms around. This is very filling. If you're having it for brunch it'll do you until dinner.