Pan-seared black pudding with roasted sweet potato, pea puree and a poached egg

Ingredients

For the pan-seared black pudding
1 tbsp olive oil
3 thick slices black pudding
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted sweet potato
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the caramelised shallots
25g/1oz butter
4 shallots, peeled
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
For the pea purée
30g/1oz butter
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
150g/5½oz fresh peas
dash water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the deep-fried sage leaves
150ml/¼ pint hot vegetable oil, for deep frying
6 fresh sage leaves
For the poached egg
½ tsp white wine vinegar
1 free-range egg

Method

1. For the black pudding, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the black pudding slices and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
2. For the sweet potato, place the sweet potato cubes into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for five minutes. Drain and dry well. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the potato cubes and sauté on all sides until golden-brown. Add the chopped sage, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and stir well.
3. For the caramelised shallots, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden-brown on all sides. Add the sugar and leave to melt over a low heat. When the sugar crystals have melted, stir and simmer over a low heat until the shallots have caramelised.
4. For the pea purée, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped shallots and sauté for 4-5 minutes over a low heat. Add the sugar and peas and a dash of water and leave to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then pour half the peas into a mini food processor and reserve the rest. Blend the peas in the food processor until smooth.
5. For the deep-fried sage leaves, pour the vegetable oil into a small saucepan and heat until a small cube of bread dropped in turns golden-brown in 30 seconds (NB: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Carefully add the sage leaves one at a time, and fry for 1-2 minutes or until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
6. For the poached egg, fill a small saucepan with boiling water, add the vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir the water to make a whirlpool in the middle, crack the egg into the whirlpool and leave to cook for approximately four minutes, or until the white has just set. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper in the spoon.
7. To serve, spread the pea purée on a serving plate, spoon the rest of the reserved peas next to the pea purée and spoon the potatoes on top. Place the caramelised shallots on top of the potatoes, followed by the black pudding. Top the black pudding with the poached egg and serve garnished with the deep-fried sage leaves.