Scotch eggs are a classic picnic staple, but since their invention by Fortnum & Mason many years ago, they have become increasingly popular, with gourmet versions popping up in posh delicatessens and at Food Festivals all over the country. They do make a fabulous picnic food, but also go down well as a delicious lunch; simply serve with a wedge of cheese, a dollop of chutney and some crisp salad leaves. This version doesn’t rely on deep fat frying, so is a little healthier too and makes a fabulous alternative to a sweet, chocolate Easter egg if you prefer something savoury!
A Note on the Recipe: The following recipe uses chorizo sausages as well as regular pork sausagemeat, but you can easily omit the chorizo if you prefer. Just ensure you have 400g of meat in total. If you can’t get hold of fine golden breadcrumbs, whizz up some panko breadcrumbs with a teaspoon each of tumeric and sweet paprika for that golden colour and a bit of extra flavour.
Ingredients
Makes 6 Eggs
- 300g sausagemeat or approx 5-6 quality pork sausages (squeezed out of their casings)
- 100g cooking chorizo (from the chiller cabinet), skin removed
- 6 large free-range eggs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Fine golden breadcrumbs (enough for coating)
- Preheat your oven to 190C/Gas 5
- Begin by boiling your eggs. Carefully lower 6 eggs into a large saucepan of boiling water and boil for around 8 minutes on a rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately cover the eggs in cold water to stop them cooking. When they are cool enough, peel off the shells.
- Meanwhile, prepare your sausagemeat by combining the chorizo with the regular sausagemeat. You may want to give it a whizz in the food processor to ensure it is thoroughly combined. Now is the time to add additional herbs like parsley, thyme or rosemary if you wish.
- Next, set out 2 dishes; 1 containing a beaten egg, 1 containing a good pile of golden breadcrumbs
- You will find that when you come to wrap the egg in sausage mixture, the mix will be very sticky, so use damp hands to do this bit. Wrap the egg in the sausage mixture, trying to keep the mix to about half a centimetre thick all the way around. If you don’t get it even, the scotch egg may split apart in the oven, so it’s worth taking some time over this. If you find it difficult to get the mix even doing it by eye, lay a square of cling film on your work surface and dust it lightly with flour. Spread out the sausage mixture onto the cling film and place the egg in the centre, lifting the sides of the cling film so that the sausage mixture begins to encase the egg. Peel away from the cling film and seal any gaps or holes by pinching and smoothing the mix.
- Dip the scotch eggs first in the dish containing the beaten eggs and then in the dish containing breadcrumbs. Ensure the egg is completely covered.
- Scrunch up 6 pieces of foil and place on a baking tray/sheet – this will prevent the eggs from rolling around in the oven.
- Place the eggs on top of the scrunched up foil and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning them after 15 mins.
- Remove from the oven, pat off any excess oil with kitchen paper and leave to cool on a wire rack.
