Homemade Scotch Eggs

Prep Time: 0:40
Cook Time: 0:10
Makes: 4

Ingredients / Shopping List

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

Check it out!

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. 

Recipe Science

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.