How to make a scotch egg

Scotch eggs with bois boudran dipping sauce

How to make a scotch egg

by Great British Chefs8 December 2014

How to make a scotch egg

This classic British snack makes a delicious treat, perfect for a summer picnic served with a selection of fresh salads and dipping sauces. In recent years, chefs seem to have developed a slight obsession with these previously sneered-at snacks, and they now grace a number of Michelin-starred restaurant and gastropub menus, all seemingly competing to create the ultimate version. Making a scotch egg from scratch avoids the overcooked yolk, unknown source of minced meat and artificial flavours found in mass-produced supermarket varieties.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

1
Boil the eggs for 5 minutes then refresh in cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside for about 20 minutes
2
Peel and dry the eggs – be very careful when doing this as they will be soft and fragile
3
In a large bowl, combine the sausage meat, mustard, herbs and seasoning
4
Divide the mixture into even portions, roll into balls and space out on a sheet of cling film. Lay another sheet on top. Flatten out into round patty shapes using a rolling pin until the patties are around 1cm in thickness
5
Dust the boiled eggs with flour and place each onto a patty. Wrap the mix evenly around the egg so it is completely sealed. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour to firm up
6
Once set, roll in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. Make sure the eggs are evenly coated
7
Preheat a deep-fryer to 180°C
8
Carefully lower the scotch eggs into the fryer and cook until golden and crisp. This should take about 5–6 minutes
9
Drain on kitchen paper and season with sea salt. Serve immediately

Variations

Conventionally, scotch eggs are made from sausage meat, as Galton Blackiston and James Sommerin use to great effect in their recipes. However, the rise of the scotch egg in recent years has resulted in chefs having fun with different flavours – both James MacKenzie and Richard Corrigan use fish as an alternative; smoked mackerel and smoked cod, respectively. You can also make vegetarian versions using chickpeas, herbs and mushrooms instead of sausage meat.

For dainty, canapé-style scotch eggs, use quail eggs as a substitute. Due to their size, they should only be boiled in step 1 for 2 ½ minutes and deep-fried for only 2–3 minutes. The coating of sausage meat should also be thinner – an even layer about 0.5cm in thickness. This makes sure that the egg still remains the star of the scotch egg and isn’t overpowered by the filling.

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