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The origins of Scotch Eggs are contentious, but one thing is for sure, they are definitely not Scottish! Many believe the eggs originated in the coastal Yorkshire town of Whitby, where the establishment that invented them, William J Scott & Sons, are said to have sold “Scotties.” The original eggs were surrounded in a creamy fish paste rather than sausage meat, before being covered in breadcrumbs and fried. Sausage meat replaced the fish when the eggs began to be sold in big food shops around the country and sausage meat was more available. Variations of the original fish-covered eggs can still be purchased on the East Yorkshire coast.
The other popular belief is that Scotch eggs were invented by the luxury London department store Fortnum & Mason in the 18th century. If the Fortnum & Mason tale is to be believed, Scotch eggs were once a luxury food only available for the upper classes. Conceived as a traveling snack, the delicacies were available around Piccadilly for the rich to purchase as a light refreshment to enjoy on their way to their country houses.
In the 1990s, the Scotch egg fell from grace and became associated with poor quality food served in bad pubs or grab food from the cafeteria at a service station along the motorways. The Scotch egg is experiencing a rise in popularity at the moment, thanks to gourmet versions appearing in up-market pubs and restaurants across the country, even here in America.
Ingredients
1 pound of sausage meat
4 hardboiled eggs
1 Tablespoon of prepared mustard
1 egg, beaten
1½ Tablespoon’s tomato ketchup
3-4 cups fine bread crumbs
Pinch of dried, mixed herbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and Pepper
Directions
You will need an 8-quart stockpot for frying.
Mix together the sausage meat, mustard, tomato ketchup, herbs, and seasoning. Divide into four equal parts.
Using floured hands, mold the sausage mix around each of the hard-boiled eggs, to enclose the egg completely and evenly.
At this point, the eggs can be covered in plastic wrap, put in the refrigerator, and finished later.
Coat the eggs in the beaten egg mix and roll in the bread crumbs to cover the sausage mixture. Repeat to double coat the eggs.
Pour enough oil into the stockpot to cover the eggs when they are placed into the oil. Leave at least 3” from the top of the pot because the oil will bubble up when the eggs go in.
When heating the oil, use a thermometer to make sure the oil is at 360° F before putting the eggs into it. If the oil gets too hot, lower the temperature so that it’s no more than 360° F.
Using a slotted spoon, lower each egg into the hot oil. Fry the eggs for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the oil. Drain on paper towels and cool.
The eggs can be halved and served with a salad, cut into 8ths, and served on a platter for parties, or packed up whole for a picnic.