(Just so you can picture it, I am grinning as I write this.)
In the world of culinary accomplishments, I am not quite sure how to classify this one. If someone had said to me,"I think you should wrap a hard-boiled egg in sausage and breadcrumbs, and then bake it", I do not know how I would have responded. But no one said that to me; I decided, on my own free will, Scotch eggs needed to be made. Let me clarify further that I had never eaten nor so much as seen a Scotch egg prior to making these; that fact only became fuel for the fire.
The first time I heard their name mentioned was on our wedding day at Celebrity Dairy. With all the beautiful conversations swirling in my head on that day, I distinctly remember the Innkeepers talking about the way their Scotch eggs sold at the Farmer's Market. I knew these people had great food sense, and so despite not knowing exactly what a Scotch egg was, the seed was planted.
This week, that seed blossomed. I was nostalgically flipping through the Celebrity Dairy's little cookbook, and there before my eyes was the recipe for Scotch eggs. Immediately, I walked to the store for sausage.
Here is my only caveat: Do not look online for pictures of other Scotch eggs until after you have made these. After mine were in the oven, I looked online and was quickly glad I had not done that prior to making them. First of all, most of them are more of an unappealing gray than a crisp golden brown, and second of all, most people deep-fry them instead of baking them! (As if a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage is not enough of a heart attack.)
OK. I warned you. Just stay here where it is safe.
Scotch eggs are known as a common picnic food because they can be eaten cold or warm. Unfortunately, their status in the U.K. has faltered slightly because like most great things, they have been copied and mass produced in the fashion known as prepared frozen foods. Yes, you can actually buy sliced Scotch eggs already fried and frozen, just waiting for you to nuke them. Oh my, I think that is ultra bizarre. Something about frozen hard-boiled eggs just does not sound like it would be appealing.
Here, in the cubbyhole's kitchen, is my effort to redeem a once lovely thing.
Scotch Eggs makes 4 eggs
The inspiration came from Celebrity Dairy, and I just tinkered with their recipe a bit.5 eggs
1/2 pound sausage
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced carrot
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon anise or fennel seed
a few good cracks black pepper
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs available at most groceries)1. Hard boil 4 eggs. My method for hard-boiling is to cover the eggs with water in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let sit 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, shock the eggs in an ice water bath. This eliminates the gray ring around the yolk. Let chill for at least 15 minutes. Peel and set aside
2. Heat oven to 375. Mix sausage with onion, carrot, sage, fennel seed, and flour
3. Beat the 1 remaining egg and place in a shallow dish
4. Place Panko in another shallow dish or on a plate
5. Grab about 1/4 of the sausage mixture and then in the palm of one hand make a thin flat rectangle of the sausage
6. Wrap the sausage around the egg (like in picture above). Roll sausage wrapped egg in beaten egg and then roll in Panko. Set on parchment lined baking sheet
7. Repeat with the remaining eggs. If you have a little bit of sausage left over, just lay it on the baking sheet and bake it along side the eggs
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the sausage is cooked through
9. Enjoy immediately or chill and take on a picnic. They also may be reheated for about 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven. Whenever you eat them, I recommend that you serve them with a dollop of grainy Dijon or spicy mustard
