Ingredients / Shopping List
4 eggs400g pork sausage meatSmall bunch corianderCoating:200g breadcrumbs1 egg25g flourSea saltFreshly ground black pepperTo fry: 500ml cooking oil
4 eggs
400g pork sausage meat
Small bunch coriander
Coating:
200g breadcrumbs
1 egg
25g flour
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To fry: 500ml cooking oil
Prep to Cook: mixing bowl, knife, chopping board, cling film, 3 shallow bowls,
Pan for deep frying, slotted spoon, plate.
Prep: the eggs
Put the eggs in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil
Simmer gently for 6 minutes. Drain boiling water and cover with ice cold water.
Prep: the sausage meat
Put the sausage meat into a mixing bowl (if using sausages, firstly skin the sausages)
Add chopped coriander and mix thoroughly
Divide the sausage meat into four portions
Take a piece of cling film and place sausage meat centrally
Cover with a second piece of cling film and flatten into a shape like a coffee cup saucer
Repeat this with each portion of sausage meat and leave on one side
Shell the eggs carefully making sure all the shell is removed then rinse with cold water
Prep: assemble eggs
Roll the egg in a little flour, remove top layer of cling film and place egg onto sausage meat
Place the cling film with sausage and egg into the palm of your hand
Work sausage meat round the egg to give an even coating. Screw the cling film tightly
Put the egg cling film wrap into the fridge and leave for 30 mins
Prep: the coating for the eggs
Put breadcrumbs into a shallow dish
Break the egg and beat it up in another shallow dish
Have a further dish to hold the finished eggs
Be organised!
Prep: Coating of scotch eggs
Peel the cling film from the sausage coated egg
Gently roll the scotch egg in the egg mix
Transfer to the breadcrumbs and roll until breadcrumbs cling all over
Transfer to a pre-frying plate. Repeat until each Scotch egg is egg coated and bread-crumbed
Prep: Frying
Heat the oil until about 190ºC
Fry the scotch eggs gently for 6 mins and roll them over to cook all sides
Remove and drain on kitchen paper to catch excess oil
Serve warm or cold with a pickle of your choice
Trendy Scotch eggs beg to be made at home and ‘by hand’. They are worthy of main dish status. They are fun to make with a ‘buddy’ when you are feeling relaxed and ready to enjoy a cooking session. The end results are worth waiting for and a great way to enjoy sausage and egg!!
Scotch eggs are a meal in themselves and very filling. Slice in half to serve with salad.
Cooks Know How: This wonderful tradition of making Scotch eggs means you get to use many skills, boiling, flavouring, shaping, coating, egg and breadcrumbing and frying. In other words this is not a dish for a beginner. It needs someone with good organisational capacity and a calm temperament. The end result is worth it and unlike any Scotch egg that you buy in the shops. Firstly then, the hard boiling of the egg should be carefully carried out and because this is the first stage of further cooking you do not need the full 10 mins boiling for a solid egg yolk. I think 7 mins is fine or even 6 mins. This will mean the final egg yolk consistency will be moist and golden. Use fresh eggs too if you want to avoid a green layer forming round the yolk. This can also be reduced if you remember to cool the eggs very quickly once they have had the required boiling time. Ice cold water is sufficient to do this effectively. The sausage meat skill is minimal, merely mix in the chopped coriander to allow the flavours to mingle. You can, of course, get creative and add extra herbs such as chopped fresh sage or thyme. I think Jamie Oliver adds a layer of sage leaves round the egg. Now, using cling film to help you avoid a sticky mess draw the sausage meat close to the egg and allow you to ‘feel’ the layer of sausage meat is even round the egg. Put these little ‘bombs’ to chill at this stage as it firms them up and makes the next stage easier. The skill in ‘egg & breadcrumb’ is in being orderly: first the egg, then the breadcrumbs and finally a pre-cook platter. A straight route through is what you want as probably your hands will get coated and leave you unable to touch anything else during the procedure.
Finally your skill is shown in deep frying. Get your oil hot and never leave it unattended. Check the temp by dropping in a breadcrumb and see if it sizzles. Gently lower the eggs into the oil two or three at a time and keep the frying gently. The eggs will float a bit so turn them over after 6 mins and cook until the eggs are golden and crisp. Remove and drain off excess oil.