Scotch Eggs
A soft-boiled egg wrapped in seasoned sausage meat, breaded and fried until deep golden and crisp.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
A Scotch egg is a whole soft-boiled egg wrapped entirely in seasoned sausage meat, breaded, and fried until the outside is deep golden and crisp.
Getting the egg's cook time right is the whole trick: it needs to survive a second round of cooking in the fryer without turning the yolk chalky.
Part of our 20 best egg recipes list.
method
Bring a pan of water to a boil, lower in 4 eggs, and cook for 6 minutes for a soft-set yolk. Transfer immediately to iced water, then peel carefully.
Mix the sausage meat with the mustard powder, sage if using, salt and pepper until well combined.
Divide the sausage mixture into 4 portions. Flatten each into a patty in your palm, place a peeled egg in the center, and wrap the meat evenly around it, sealing any gaps.
Set up a breading station: flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs. Roll each wrapped egg in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing to coat evenly.
Heat about 5cm of oil in a deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry the eggs in batches for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden and the sausage meat is cooked through.
Drain on paper towels and let rest a few minutes before cutting in half to serve, warm or at room temperature.
chef's tips
- 6 minutes gives a jammy, soft-set yolk once you account for the carryover cooking during frying; adjust by 30 seconds either way to taste.
- An instant-read thermometer in the sausage meat, reading at least 71°C (160°F), is the surest way to know they're cooked through without overdoing the egg.