British · Starter · Medium
Scotch Eggs
Crunchy golden breadcrumbs, savory sausage meat and a jammy soft-boiled egg in the middle. Pub food royalty, and even better eaten warm from the fryer.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Scotch Eggs, in 5 ideas
- The yolk is the prize, so six minutes for the eggs plus an ice bath keeps them runny at the center.
- Season the sausage meat boldly: it has to carry the whole egg, so do not be shy with salt and pepper.
- Chill the wrapped eggs before breading so they hold their shape and the crumbs stick cleanly.
- Panko crumbs give a shattering crust that regular breadcrumbs cannot match.
- Eat them within a couple of hours for the best texture; the crust softens as they sit.
What you need
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, plus 2 eggs beaten for coating
- 500g pork sausage meat
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 100g plain flour
- 150g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, to serve (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Lower 6 eggs into boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes. Plunge into iced water, peel carefully and set aside.
- Mix the sausage meat with the sage, pepper and salt until evenly seasoned, then divide into 6 equal portions.
- Flatten one portion of sausage meat in your palm, wrap it evenly around an egg, and seal the join. Repeat for all 6.
- Roll each wrapped egg in flour, then beaten egg, then panko crumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.
- Chill the breaded eggs in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Heat the oil to 170C in a deep heavy pan. Fry the eggs in batches for 6 to 7 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over.
- Drain on a wire rack over kitchen paper, rest for 5 minutes, and serve warm with mustard.
Use sausage meat from a value pack and a cheap bag of panko; they go much further per penny than buying individual sausages and fiddling with skins.