Forget Ginsters, forget service station balls of 10% pork, 90% god knows what, claggy, chalky yolks and soggy breadcrumbs. Think big, think meaty, think oozing and succulent. Sliced in half, soft yolks revealed winking at you, deep pork, light herbs and crisp, crisp coating. This is how Scotch Eggs should be. It is criminal what gas stations and your local One Stops have done to the good name of this delectable dish. They can be so much more than food on the go. I serve mine with a tasty tomato, chilli, basil sauce (find the recipe for that here) or just scoff them down plain.
Give it a go anyway. This recipe is based on Heston Blumenthal’s one. Having tried out a few I have found his technique definitely the best. I’ve added a few additional flavours though – adapt if you wish, but try mine first :p
Give it a go anyway. This recipe is based on Heston Blumenthal’s one. Having tried out a few I have found his technique definitely the best. I’ve added a few additional flavours though – adapt if you wish, but try mine first :p
Recipe
Ingredients (makes 4 scotch eggs, which in my world serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter):
5 eggs
200g good quality sausages, skins removed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tufts of tarragon, stalks removed and chopped
2 teaspoons corn flour
Squeeze of lemon juice
plain flour
splash of milk
salt and pepper
fine breadcrumbs – 120g if you make your own – though actually I’d advise that you buy them in for this recipe, they tend to be dryer and finer than homemade ones.
vegetable oil
Method:
1. Boil a pan of water, put 4 eggs in and cook for 2.5 minutes. Remove from the water and plunge into ice water to stop them cooking further. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the water.
2. Put the sausage meat, paprika, lemon juice, corn flour and some salt and pepper into a processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the tarragon (don’t blend it). Remove and divide into 4 portions.
3. Heat the oven to 190 Celsius.
4. Carefully remove the shells from the eggs. Crack the shell and insert a teaspoon into the gap and run it around the egg to remove the shell – good way of getting the shell off easily and with the egg intact. Do be careful – the yolks are runny and the whites easily split.
5. Lay a square of cling film down and place a portion of the sausage meat on top. Flatten into a large circle. Place the egg into the middle and gather up the sides of the cling film, squeezing and coaxing around the sausage meat as you do to wrap it completely around the egg, sealing the top as you do. Tie/twist the clingfilm ends to form a little sausage egg parcel. Repeat with the rest and put in the fridge for 25 minutes. The cling film technique is good because it means you get a good tight wrap of sausage which helps it stay together in one piece, and the refrigeration firms it up for the same reason. Have a peek at the below pictures to see what I mean.
6. Lay out 3 bowls. In one place the egg, beaten, and a splash of milk, seasoned with salt and pepper and whisked up. In the other place flour, seasoned again with salt and pepper and in the third place your breadcrumbs. Heat your vegetable oil in a sauce pan, about 2 inches deep until about 180 Celsius or until when a breadcrumb is dropped in it sizzles.
7. After 25 minutes remove your parcels from the fridge. Remove the cling film. Roll a ball in the flour, then dip in the egg mix and then roll in the breadcrumbs so that it is evenly coated. Carefully lower into the hot oil and deep fry for about 1-2 minutes until the breadcrumbs are a deep golden brown and crisp. Do this two at a time to avoid over crowding. Turn while cooking to make sure they are evenly fried.
8. Place on a baking tray and put into the oven for 10 minutes.
9. Remove, slice in half and serve. The eggs yolks should be soft still, but keep your fingers crossed just in case. Expect terror upon slicing them open. Anticipation = intense. Enjoy!!
Ingredients (makes 4 scotch eggs, which in my world serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter):
5 eggs
200g good quality sausages, skins removed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tufts of tarragon, stalks removed and chopped
2 teaspoons corn flour
Squeeze of lemon juice
plain flour
splash of milk
salt and pepper
fine breadcrumbs – 120g if you make your own – though actually I’d advise that you buy them in for this recipe, they tend to be dryer and finer than homemade ones.
vegetable oil
Method:
1. Boil a pan of water, put 4 eggs in and cook for 2.5 minutes. Remove from the water and plunge into ice water to stop them cooking further. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the water.
2. Put the sausage meat, paprika, lemon juice, corn flour and some salt and pepper into a processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the tarragon (don’t blend it). Remove and divide into 4 portions.
3. Heat the oven to 190 Celsius.
4. Carefully remove the shells from the eggs. Crack the shell and insert a teaspoon into the gap and run it around the egg to remove the shell – good way of getting the shell off easily and with the egg intact. Do be careful – the yolks are runny and the whites easily split.
5. Lay a square of cling film down and place a portion of the sausage meat on top. Flatten into a large circle. Place the egg into the middle and gather up the sides of the cling film, squeezing and coaxing around the sausage meat as you do to wrap it completely around the egg, sealing the top as you do. Tie/twist the clingfilm ends to form a little sausage egg parcel. Repeat with the rest and put in the fridge for 25 minutes. The cling film technique is good because it means you get a good tight wrap of sausage which helps it stay together in one piece, and the refrigeration firms it up for the same reason. Have a peek at the below pictures to see what I mean.
6. Lay out 3 bowls. In one place the egg, beaten, and a splash of milk, seasoned with salt and pepper and whisked up. In the other place flour, seasoned again with salt and pepper and in the third place your breadcrumbs. Heat your vegetable oil in a sauce pan, about 2 inches deep until about 180 Celsius or until when a breadcrumb is dropped in it sizzles.
7. After 25 minutes remove your parcels from the fridge. Remove the cling film. Roll a ball in the flour, then dip in the egg mix and then roll in the breadcrumbs so that it is evenly coated. Carefully lower into the hot oil and deep fry for about 1-2 minutes until the breadcrumbs are a deep golden brown and crisp. Do this two at a time to avoid over crowding. Turn while cooking to make sure they are evenly fried.
8. Place on a baking tray and put into the oven for 10 minutes.
9. Remove, slice in half and serve. The eggs yolks should be soft still, but keep your fingers crossed just in case. Expect terror upon slicing them open. Anticipation = intense. Enjoy!!
sausages yum all fat and pink!
eggs 😀
sausage meat, flattened and on the clingfilm
neat, firm little parcels
coating station!
coated
fry me
big tasty balls
mmmmm
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