Scotch Egg

I'd never even heard of a this thing until a few weeks ago, and my daughter sent over just a snapchat  picture of one, but didn't say what it was.  Coincidentally, I was in Chicago just a few days later, and the restaurant where we were dining offered a "Scotch Egg" as an appetizer.  Sounded just like what Claire had sent a picture of, so I ordered one.  Wow!  Just WOW!

They look complicated and cumbersome, but just after the trip, I had some folks coming over for a day of fishing on the Hiwassee River, so I tested out what little bit I knew about preparation on them.

If I was to prepare a Scotch Egg, I figured I needed some boiled eggs.  I add a tablespoon of white vinegar to my water.  I've been told that it makes the shell come off better.  Most of the time it does.  I put my eggs in the water just as I put onto the heat.  As soon as they start to boil, I turn them off and they sit covered for 12 minutes.  Immediately cool them with running cold water, and maybe some ice.  That method results in a nicely boiled egg, and a Scotch Egg as I was served in Chicago.

I'm told, however, that a "Scottish" Scotch Egg is boiled for no more than 8 minutes, resulting in a much 'gooier" yellow.  Your call on how long you want to boil them.  They're your eggs!

Next we go for the sausage.  In my research of Scotch Egg recipes, I found mostly the same spices, with some variations, so I took the favored route on the sausage.  Two companies that I know of market a no preservative sage sausage around NE Georgia and the western Carolinas.  One is Nantahala and the other is Snow Creek.  You should find some brand of non-preservative sausage in your grocer's meat case, and these two offer the preferred sage option.  With the sage variety, you are DONE on spices!

On my test, I quartered a pound of sausage.  Whatever volume of Scotch Eggs you are going for sets the quantity of sausage to purchase at this amount per egg, as it worked out just right.

As you can see in the pictures, you form a flat patty with a quarter pound of sausage, then form it into a ball around the egg, resulting in a sausage ball just under the size of a baseball.

Next, we will roll the sausage egg ball in beaten egg,
then roll in panko bread crumbs.

I wasn't quite satisfied with the amount of bread crumbs on the first shot, so I rolled it in the egg again and recoated.  The second roll made for a very nice panko covering.

To minimize the amount of oil which you will need, choose a pot which is deep enough to cover a baseball, and the smallest diameter pot which you have!

Your oil should be around 300 degrees for proper cooking, so start it up before you begin any other prep.

With your trusty tongs, gently lower the ball into the oil.  I've seen recipes which call for as little as four minutes, but at 300 degrees on the candy thermometer, it took eight minutes to get a nice golden crust on the panko.  

Turn the egg in the oil every 20-30 seconds during the process for a nice and even cook/crust.

The appetizer "Egg" which I ordered in Chicago was served on a small plate and drizzled with seasoned mustard, nothing else.  But I'm planning on a plated full meal here, and I came up with the idea of a 'nest' of hashbrowns.  

I'm prepping the Scotch Eggs and wondering just how I'm going to get 8 'nests' of hashbrowns done while at the same time tediously deep frying the eggs, and then...

...I noticed the waffle maker which Kimberly had gotten a few months ago!  Well, I figured this is all out, or a complete bomb, with no backup, so I put a good service of hashbrowns on the waffle iron, following a good shot of cooking spray, and pressed that lid really hard.  On medium high heat, the first one came off perfect at 7 minutes.  Subsequent rounds were the same, and it was basically no work, as I could generate a nest at basically the same rate as Scotch Egg!

Plated on the hashbrown nest, with a biscuit, some fresh fruit and a dab of fig preserves.

Yum!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 RECIPE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INGREDIENTS

Large Grade A eggs (your choice on quantity) plus 2 for dredging
1/4 pound sage sausage per egg
Frying oil, approximately 1/2 gallon
1 package Panko bread crumbs (to equal 1-2 cups)
White vinegar, 1 tablespoon
Cooking Spray
Either fresh dairy case hashbrown potatoes, or frozen variety (thaw completely before preparation time, if using frozen)
Spiced mustard 
Fresh fruit

INSTRUCTIONS

Place eggs in pot and cover with water.  Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water and place on range or stove, covered.  As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove from heat to sit, covered.  12 minutes for a firm center, 6 minutes for a runny center, or anywhere in between for your preference.  At the allotted time, run cold water over the eggs in the pot until they are mostly cool, then add a double handful of ice to completely stop the cook.  Peel the eggs and sit aside.

Choose your smallest diameter pot which will cover a baseball, and add oil.  Using a candy thermometer or other type thermometer, bring the oil to 300 degrees.

Beat 2-3 eggs into a small bowl and set aside.  Pour a cup or two of panko crumbs into a separate bowl and also set aside.

Divide sausage into 1/4 pound servings and form a patty approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Place an egg into the center of the patty and mold it around the egg into a ball.  Complete this step for all Scotch Eggs which you will be preparing.

Dredge the sausage ball into the beaten egg, completely covering the sausage with beaten egg.  Roll into the panko, completely covering the sausage ball.  Repeat the process of dredge and roll a second time.  

Gently lower the coated ball into the oil, either with tongs or a slotted serving spoon.  Fry for seven to eight minutes, gently turning regularly, or until panko is a nice brown crust.  Remove from the oil to rest on a plated paper towel.  (If you have a microwave, placing them in the microwave and close the door between eggs to help keep them warm.)

While the eggs are cooking, coat your waffle iron with cooking spray, on medium high heat, and place a serving of hashbrowns in the waffle iron.  Check occasionally, but should be brown at around seven minutes.  (The microwave can also help keep the hashbrowns warm.  You can stack them just like regular pancakes for eventual plating.)

Plate the hashbrowns and place a Scotch egg in the center of the hashbrowns.  Add fruit, biscuit, spiced mustard, or whatever you prefer as a side.

Enjoy!

Print this Article