Another classic of the British cuisine, these are best enjoyed warm (not hot, unless you are a bid sadomasochist), and I strongly advise you to either get a proper frying device or to keep your house well ventilated. Also, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to use smaller eggs (quail’s, for instance) in place of the big chicken ones. I also do apologise in advance for posting pictures which are not mine but, as you can see right here below, the quality of mine is appalling to say the least. Last but not least, the recipe is not mine but is the product of many tried and tested Scotch Eggs recipes by Felicity Cloake.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 200g plain sausagemeat
- 200g pork mince
- 3 tbsp chopped mixed herbs
- A pinch of ground mace
- 1 tbsp English mustard
- Splash of milk
- 50g flour
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, to cook
Method
- Put four of the eggs into a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes, then put straight into a large bowl of iced water for at least 10 minutes.
- Put the meat, herbs, mace and mustard into a bowl, season and mix well with your hands. Divide into four.
- Carefully peel the eggs. Beat the two raw eggs together in a bowl with a splash of milk. Put the flour in a second bowl and season, then tip the breadcrumbs into a third bowl. Arrange in an assembly line.
- Put a square of clingfilm on the worksurface, and flour lightly. Put one of the meatballs in the centre, and flour lightly, then put another square of cling film on top. Roll out the meat until large enough to encase an egg and remove the top sheet of clingfilm.
- To assemble the egg, roll one peeled egg in flour, then put in the centre of the meat. Bring up the sides of the film to encase it, and smooth it into an egg shape with your hands. Dip each egg in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, then egg and then breadcrumbs.
- Fill a large pan a third full of vegetable oil, and heat to 170C (or when a crumb of bread sizzles and turns golden, but does not burn, when dropped in it). Cook the eggs a couple at a time, for seven minutes, until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper before serving.
Tips
- I found using sausages with herbs works the magic without having to buy the sausagemeat and the herbs separately. You can bulk the amount of herbs by adding some freshly chopped ones if you wish.
- If you don’t have / can’t get your hands on Panko breadcrumbs, use normal fresh ones. Please restrain from using the horrible orange ones you can find in supermarkets and opt for some freshly grated ones instead. I buy bread specifically to make breadcrumbs.
- Step number 5 suggests to roll the eggs in flour. I found that keeps the sausagemeat directly in contact with the flour (and the egg) too moist and risks not cooking properly when frying. It’s up to you, but I would suggest avoid using flour and just spending more time making sure the egg is properly encased in its meat blanket.
This is how the should look like once finished (picture not mine)
Baking with Attitude 