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.

Happy Easter! Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns… Are you singing it in your head yet?  I can't help hearing the melody every time I think of the traditional Easter treat.  Yet many people in the western US have probably never seen actual hot cross buns.  Some bakeries carry them this time of year, but if you want to add this traditional British and Irish touch to your Easter brunch, it's probably easiest to make them yourself.

So what are hot cross buns?  They're slightly sweet rolls with spices and fruit, common in Ireland throughout the Easter season.  They're a great brunch or afternoon tea item, but not sweet enough for dessert.  They are yeast rolls, so allow at least 2 1/2 hours to make these (though you absolutely can make them the night before your brunch).





Ingredients:

• 4 cups AP flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup (8 tbs) butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp each allspice and nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, or cherries
• zest of 1 orange

For the glaze:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbs water

For the cross:

• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbs powdered sugar
• 1 tbs butter, melted

Instructions:

Heat the milk and butter on the stove until the butter melts and the milk just begins to steam.  Stir in the sugar and yeast and let stand for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture becomes foamy.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, spices, and salt.  Slowly add the milk mixture, stirring.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the fruit and orange zest, mixing to combine.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and shiny.  Return the dough to the bowl, lightly oiled, cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12-15 even balls.  Turn each ball inside out, pinching the bottoms together.  Set them pinched side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover loosely, and set aside to rise for another 30 minutes or so, until doubled in size.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Make the glaze by whisking together the egg and water.  Lightly brush the buns with the glaze, then make the crosses.  Mix together all ingredients to make a dough.  Form a cross across the top of each bun either using a pastry bag or using your fingers.

Bake in the pre-heated oven 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Allow to cool until slightly warm.

Tattie Scones

Tattie scones, or potato scones, are an essential part of the full Scottish breakfast, but I'd be willing to bet that most Americans have never even heard of them.  So if you're picturing something like a cross between that blueberry scone you got at Starbucks this morning and light, fluffy potato bread, think again.  They're also not much like the light, fluffy scones you'd see at tea time in the UK.  They're really more like a potato cake than anything else, but rolled out much thinner than other potato cakes I've made.

This is a traditional Scottish dish, probably dating from the 18th or 19th century, and as with many traditional foods, there are many different variations.  These range from very basic recipes with just potato, butter, and flour to recipes with a little baking soda to a slightly thicker version with chives and dill.  As delicious as some of these sounded, I decided as usual to go with the simplest version of the recipe I could find and got started.

The recipe I chose really only had two ingredients, if "leftover mash" counts as one ingredient.  It's just five parts cold leftover mash to one part flour, fried in hot oil.  Really, it couldn't be simpler.  They also re-heat well, fried briefly in the pan with your bacon and eggs in the morning, so don't hesitate to make a large batch.  This recipe makes about 16.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup leftover mashed potatoes*
• 1/4 cup AP flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:
Mix potatoes and flour in a medium bowl.  Turn out onto a  well floured surface, roll out until about 1/4 inch thick.**  Cut into triangles 3 inches across, and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium frying pan until a small scrap of dough dropped into the pan causes the oil to bubble, rather than just sinking.  Put the scones in the pan a few at a time (I did 4 at a time in a 10-inch pan) and fry about a minute on each side until slightly golden.  Remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Tattie scones make a very simple addition to your breakfast or base for appetizers, and can be enjoyed in any number of ways, though my personal favorites are either hot with butter, or cold with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dill.  Some people eat them with butter and jam like a regular scone, too, though I'm not sure how I feel about the combination of fried potato and sweet jam.

*These are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes (have I mentioned before that I always make too many?), but you can, of course, use a fresh batch.  Just add butter and milk like normal, and allow extra time for the potatoes to cool.

**I sometimes find it's easier to flatten the dough by hand in sections, since less of it ends up stuck to the counter and rolling pin that way.

Irish (American) Soda Bread

With one week to go until St Patrick's Day, Irish soda bread is beginning to appear in bakeries and even grocery stores across the US.  It's a slightly sweet quick bread, made with raisins, dried currants, and sometimes caraway seeds, and is absolutely delicious buttered.  It's a St Patrick's Day treat that I look forward to every year.

But like many American St Patrick's Day traditions, this bread actually originated on this side of the Atlantic.  It probably evolved from the simple soda breads made in Ireland; it's essentially a basic white soda bread with sugar and dried fruit added.  These additions, as well as the use of more finely milled white flour made it a more expensive loaf than the brown soda bread it evolved from, an indulgence made possible by the increasing prosperity of Irish Americans in the late 19th century.

If you're looking for a nice sweet bread to smear with butter for your St Patrick's Day breakfast, look no further.  If, however, you're after a traditional addition to your supper, or a more savory slice of toast, you may want to try brown soda bread or traditional white soda bread.  All are delicious, so it's really just a matter of preference.

Ingredients:

• 2- 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 

•  1 large egg 

•  2 tbs sugar 

•  1/3 cups dried currants or rasins

• pinch of salt 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 and sprinkle a cookie sheet with flour. Combine dry ingredients except fruit in a medium mixing bowl. Beat together egg and buttermilk until combined.  Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon after each addition. Add  more flour as needed.  When the mixture forms a crumbly dough, fold in fruit, and form into a ball. Place the dough on the prepared cookie sheet and cut a deep cross in the top (at least half way through the dough).  Bake in the preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown, the loaf has at least doubled in size, and the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

To make this American version of soda bread, I just took my basic white soda bread recipe and added some sugar, an egg, and a little fruit.  The egg and sugar completely transform the bread; this is a much softer loaf.  It's still extremely quick and easy to make, which it the whole point of using baking soda rather than yeast, and means you can easily bake a loaf while you're preparing the rest of your St Patrick's Day brunch.  This is excellent news, as this bread really is best still a little warm from the oven.  If you don't want to get up early enough to bake, though, it will keep overnight.