Scotch eggs have always been a favourite in our family.
There is something very satisfying about making your own.
And mine are baked, not fried so they are a filling and guilt-free lunch or snack.
And what’s even more fabulous is that, because I use sausages (not sausage-meat), you can make them more interesting by changing the sausages to your taste!
Ingredients (makes 4):
- 4 eggs (size doesn’t matter)
- 1 egg, whisked
- About 75g breadcrumbs. Any sort, but I prefer panko.
- A small bunch of thyme (use the leaves, not the stalks)
- A large handful of plain flour.
- A pinch of mustard powder
- 6 full-sized, good-quality sausages. None of your chipolatas here.
- Oil (spray-oil is ideal)
To Make:
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180° fan).
- Lay some foil on a baking tray and rub it over/spray with oil.
- Put the 4 eggs in a pan and cover in cold water. Pop the lid on and bring to the boil. When boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. This gives hard-boiled yolks – if you prefer them runnier, just reduce the cooking time.
- While the eggs are boiling, prepare 3 bowls: one with the flour and mustard powder, one with the whisked egg and one with the breadcrumbs and thyme.
- When the boiling eggs are done, drain and run cold water over the eggs to stop them cooking. Take the shells off and set them aside.
- I use disposable gloves to do this bit, but it’s up to you! Put a large rectangle of clingfilm on the work surface (about the size of a baking tray). Squash 1½ sausages into a ball and then flatten into a disc about 15cm diameter. Roll one of the eggs in the flour mix and then place in the middle of the sausage-meat. Gather up the clingfilm so the sausagemeat wraps around the egg and twist the top so it’s like a ball. Undo and the egg will mostly be wrapped in the meat. Coax the edges of the meat over to fill the join.
- Repeat with the 3 other eggs.
- Dip each ball into the whisked egg and cover well. Then roll on the thyme-breadcrumbs, making sure the ball is covered.
- Pop onto the prepared tray, drizzle or spray with oil and bake for 25/30 minutes.
- Enjoy – as they are or with some tomato chutney.