Whenever we describe a scotch egg to our family and friends around the world, they look back at us with their tongues out, drooling with sliver down one side of their mouth. Not too dissimilar to a dog with a bone. They ask "Why have I never had one of these?" And it's a pretty good question because they are so delicious when served right.
These little balls of goodness are a classic British delicacy and have thrived for many years. Sold in butcher's shops, farm shops and even supermarkets throughout the UK, they are very easy to get hold of.
The yolky centre however can make or break a scotch egg and it always seems to be a bit of a lottery as to what you get. So making your own from scratch makes perfect sense.
It is possible to make any number of flavoured varieties. You could try curry spice or chilli flakes for a bit of added heat. Paprika or finely chopped garlic are also good options or if you wanted to take it to the next level you could even add a little black pudding to your meat.
This is a lovely scotch egg recipe that is full of flavour and an all-around family pleaser!
Level: Intermediate
Prep Time: 30 Mins
Cook Time: 8-10 mins
INGREDIENTS
6 eggs, boiled
350g minced pork shoulder
4 g salt (I use curing salt but ordinary non-iodised will do)
5g allspice
20g chopped thyme
5g ground black pepper
10g of parsley
10g dried sage
5g ground nutmeg
1 – 2 eggs, beaten
120g breadcrumbs – but rusk gives a more golden, crunchy outer shell
Sunflower oil for deep frying
METHOD
1. Before you start the rest of the process, boil your eggs. Place 6 eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a medium simmer for 3.5 minutes. Make sure you use a timer here. 30 seconds too early and the eggs are uncooked, 30 seconds too late and you end up with a hard-boiled centre.
2. Place the eggs into a bowl of iced water, or run them under the tap until completely cold. This stops the eggs from developing a grey ring near the yolk.
(It goes without saying the eggs need to be shelled before layering up.)
3. Chop the parsley, sage, and thyme finely ready for mixing with meat.
4. Put the meat in a bowl with the salt, pepper, chopped parsley, chopped sage, chopped thyme, allspice and nutmeg. Mix well with your hands until all the herbs and spices are thoroughly mixed in and pop it into the fridge to cool.
5. Divide the sausage meat into 6 equal sections. Weigh the meat on the scales if you would like your scotch eggs to be uniform.
6. Form each section into a round ball shape and mould it around the eggs.
7. Roll the covered eggs in the beaten egg and coat them in the breadcrumbs. For an extra crispy shell, repeat the egg dip and roll once again in the breadcrumbs/rusk. Have all the Scotch eggs ready to cook before heating the oil.
8. Heat the oil until very hot. If using a deep fat fryer ensure it has reached 190°C. Carefully put the eggs in the oil and fry for 4 minutes, turning them as they cook so they brown evenly. Cook no more than 3 eggs at a time. If you don’t have a deep fat fryer, simply shallow fry them for 8 to 10 minutes turning regularly.
9. Drain the cooked eggs on kitchen paper.
Weschenfelder Top Tip: Serve Hot with roasted tomatoes and chutney.