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Scotch eggs

Soft-boiled eggs in herby pork sausage meat and crisp crumbs

The Scotch egg was sold as a travelling snack by the London grocer Fortnum & Mason in the 1700s, and it is still the picnic and pub-counter favourite of England: a boiled egg wrapped in pork sausage meat, crumbed and fried. Modern pubs serve them with a runny yolk and a dollop of piccalilli or mustard. Chef's tip: boil the eggs for exactly 6½ minutes and plunge into iced water; that sets the white enough to peel but leaves the yolk soft.
Total time
60 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
6
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Ingredients

Serves6

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Fresh ingredients (4)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Lower the 6 eggs into boiling water and cook for 6½ minutes, then plunge into iced water for 10 minutes. Peel carefully.

    17 min
  2. Step 2: Mix the 16 oz pork sausage meat with the 1 tbsp sage, 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp English mustard and ½ tsp black pepper and divide into 6. Flatten each into a round on cling film.

    5 min
  3. Step 3: Dust each egg in a little 1 ¾ oz plain flour, set on a sausage round and use the film to wrap the meat around it evenly, sealing the joins. A common mistake is leaving thin patches, which split in the oil.

    10 min
  4. Step 4: Roll each in the rest of the flour, then the 2 eggs, then the 3 ½ oz panko breadcrumbs. Chill for 15 minutes.

    18 min
  5. Step 5: Heat the 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry 2 or 3 at a time for 6–7 minutes, turning, until deep golden. The sausage meat must reach 160°F; check one with a probe pushed into the meat, not the egg.

    20 min
  6. Step 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm or cold, halved, with mustard.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
420 kcal
Protein
24 g
Carbs
18 g
Fat
28 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does scotch eggs take?
About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of eggs?
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
What can I use instead of parsley?
Fresh coriander or chives, same amount.

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