I just returned from an action-packed week in London. I was there for work, but my evenings and the weekend were chock full of restaurants, markets, pubs, and some pretty fancy cocktail bars. It was amazing. I have to say, the one dish that I kept coming back to was the Scotch Egg - sold in markets (cold!) or in different varieties at the impressive Food Court at Harrod's. However, my favorite is when they are served warm in a pub, beautifully crispy and fried to a nice golden brown, sliced down the middle, and served with a great dipping sauce.
So, I experimented back home with my own version. Basically, you perfectly hard-boil some eggs, surround with either an easy homemade or store-bought sausage (I tried turkey, it doesn't work - go with basic pork sausage), roll it in bread crumbs, and fry away. I made one version baked to try a more healthy approach, and they were a disaster - so fire up that oil! I like these with a grainy mustard on the side, but for this version I made a simple onion jam to dip into.
Cheers!
Hard Boil Your Eggs: I'm using 4 eggs for this recipe. Take the 4 eggs, place in a small saucepan, then cover with cold water. Bring to a boil - then remove from the heat, cover your saucepan, and let sit for 3 minutes. Transfer your eggs to an ice water bath. Carefully crack the shells, and gently peel under cold running water. Place eggs back in the bowl of cold water, and chill until completely cooled.
Scotch 'em Up: Mix together about 1 cup of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt in a large-ish shallow bowl. In a second bowl, put one cup of panko bread crumbs (you can also used crushed Corn Flakes, which, if you've ready my cookbook A Perfect 10, you know I love). Take 8 ounces of breakfast sausage (you can stir in some diced parsley if you choose), and divide into 4 equal portions. Take one portion of the sausage, and flatten with your hands into a thin patty. Lay one of the cooled cooked eggs on top, and wrap the sausage around the egg, sealing it up to complete enclose. Do this with all 4 eggs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Doing one egg at a time, take the sausage-covered egg into the flour, shake off any excess flour, then roll into the eggs, then roll in the panko to fully coat. Place them on a paper-towel-lined plate in preparation for frying!
Get 'em all Fried Up: In a heavy saucepan, pour 2 inches of vegetable oil, and heat to about 325 degrees (medium-high). Fry the eggs, turning occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through, and the breading is golden brown and crispy, about 5-6 minutes per egg. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Season with salt and pepper.
In advance: Make your onion balsamic jam (or buy it your specialty store - I love the version from Stonewall Kitchens): In a large saucepan, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil, to medium heat. Stir in 3 finely chopped sweet (i.e. Vidalia) onions, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they start to carmelize and turn a dark amber color, about 20 minutes. Now stir in 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, and 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar. Cook until the sugar completely dissolves, on low, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool completely.
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