Scotch Eggs

Only in Scotland would someone decide that the most appropriate thing to do with a soft boiled egg is to wrap it in sausage, roll it in breadcrumbs, and then deep fry it.  Because salt and pepper just aren't good enough, and everything could do with being a bit more fried…

In all seriousness, though, Scotch eggs were originally created as an on-the-go meal for long carriage trips, probably sometime in the eighteenth century, and have since become a pub staple in Britain.  And really, eggs wrapped in sausage?  What's not to love?  They're high in protein, and could probably be made gluten free by using some substitute for the breadcrumbs (almond flour, perhaps?), if you're inclined to do that sort of thing.

I've been wanting to try these for some time, and when shepherd's pie just sounded like too much effort by the time I got off work today (which is definitely a testament to my laziness), I decided to give it a go.  How much work could boiling and frying some eggs possibly be, after all?

As it turns out, not much.  These were extremely quick and easy to make; the entire process took me about an hour.   And they're great hot or cold, so you can do them ahead of time.  Also, they're designed to be portable, and therefore an excellent picnic food, which is perfect now that spring has arrived.

Ingredients:

• 7 large eggs
• 1 lb bratwurst or other savory sausage, removed from casings
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder (optional)
• vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions:

Place 6 eggs in a large pot or saucepan and just cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, and promptly remove from heat.  Cover, and let stand for 6 minutes or so.*  Remove eggs from water and place in cold water to stop cooking.

While the eggs are cooking, divide the sausage into 6 even balls.  Whisk together the flour and mustard in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the remaining egg.  Pour vegetable oil into a thick-bottomed saucepan, about 1-2" deep and heat over medium heat.

Peel the boiled eggs.  Squish the sausage balls into patties, and wrap each egg in sausage.  Roll each one in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg, and then roll in breadcrumbs.  Check that the oil is hot enough by dropping a scrap of sausage into the pan.  If it sinks, the oil is too cool; if it sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is ready.  Fry the eggs in batches of two or three, until the outsides are browned.  Cut into quarters to serve.

* I left the eggs in the hot water for 6 minutes so the yolks were still a little runny.  However, I live in Denver, at 5280 feet.  At lower altitudes, you should probably only cook the eggs for 4-5 minutes.