I adore Scotch Eggs. They’re the perfect match of sausage, egg, breading, and deliciousness. Done right, the exterior is crispy and salty, the sausage properly cooked without being greasy, and the egg yolk EVER so slightly soft. I will buy them at Ren Faires as a treat, but here’s how to make them at home!
Ingredients:
- 6 cooked eggs
- 1 cup ground breakfast sausage
- whisked egg and breadcrumbs, for coating
- salt and pepper to taste
- frying fat
Depending on how cooked you want your yolks to be, this can be tricky. I usually aim for very soft boiled eggs, around 6 minutes in boiling water. For hard boiled, you want 8 minutes in boiling water. (Note: always put eggs into cold water in the pot, then bring the temperature up to boiling, and start your timer when the water reaches the boil.) To make them easier to peel, you can prick the bottom of the egg (the fat end) with a pin, which lets the water in and separates it from the shell. I’m told baking powder in the water also works. When your eggs are boiled, put them in a cold water ice bath for at least 20 minutes before attempting to peel them.
Remove the shells and rinse then wipe the eggs dry. Using your hands, pick up a ball of ground sausage and make it into an oval shape, flattened to an equal thickness throughout. Wrap this carefully around your egg and gently mold until the entire egg is encased in sausage. The harder boiled your eggs are, the easier this is.
Set the whisked raw egg in one bowl and the breadcrumbs in another. Dip the sausage encased egg into the whisked egg, then roll it in the breadcrumbs to coat it. Add the coated egg to a fry pan with oil and fry them until they’re golden brown. Turn them constantly so that they cook evenly. You want the sausage to be cooked through (and the egg will cook a bit further while you’re cooking the sausage).
These can be served as is, hot and crispy. Alternatively, you can split them in half and serve them with sliced tomatoes and a whisked mixture of equal parts mustard and mayonnaise.