Scotch Eggs

Despite the name, Scotch eggs originated at a department store in London in the 18th century...or so goes one story. Another story is that the idea of cooked eggs wrapped in meat made its way to England via North Africa by way of France. Others say Scotch eggs are an Indian export from the 1600s. Still, many maintain that this recipe is a variation of the Cornish pasty made by northern Scottish pig & chicken farmers.

The name may come from a man by the surname of Scott, who may have originated the recipe in Yorkshire...or the name could be a corruption of the word "scorch," as the eggs were cooked over an open flame in Elizabethan England. Other explanations, from The London Telegraph, are that "the snack's original name was 'scotched egg,' which [...] simply means 'an egg that has had something done to it.' Tom Parker Bowles has a likeable theory to do with the fact that 19th century recipes often included anchovies in the meat: 'Scotch,' for some reason, was a title applied to a number of dishes which contained these salty fishes."

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Scotch eggs always seemed like a daunting recipe to me...a lot of work for a few bites of food. Really, though, they are quite easy to make. I made these, with the help of my (Scottish) boyfriend's sixteen-year-old daughter, on Sunday...and they were given the thumbs-up by the BF and his brother. I ate leftovers for breakfast on Monday. I wish I had more today. 

Scotch Eggs

8 large eggs

16 ounces pork breakfast sausage

1 cup flour (or more if needed)

1 egg, beaten

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

vegetable oil, for frying

• Cover eggs with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil & boil for 8 minutes (6 minutes if you prefer a runnier yolk). Immediately plunge the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then peel.
• Cut the sausage into 8 slices. Flatten each slice into an oval in your hand, then wrap the sausage around each egg, completely encasing the eggs. 
• Coat each sausage-wrapped egg with flour (shaking off the excess), dip in beaten egg, then roll in panko.
• Fry the eggs in a skillet with about an inch of oil, turning them until browned all over. 
• Cut in half and serve with a dipping sauce made of mayo, mustard, & lemon juice.