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The Best Scotch Egg

A gourmet, protein packed egg wrapped in a seasoned sausage and coated in bread crumbs for a nice crunch. A great snack or brunch addition.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Refrigeration 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine British
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 Cookie Sheet (To Bake Scotch Eggs)
  • 1 Medium Bowl (To Mix Sausage)
  • 1 Soup Bowl (or equivalent medium sized bowl) (For Egg Wash)
  • 1 Whisk or Fork (To whisk eggs)
  • 1 Medium Saucepan (For boiling eggs)
  • 1 Set of measuring spoons
  • 1 Set of measuring cups
  • 2 Dinner plates (For rolling the sausage/egg combo in bread crumbs)
  • Parchment Paper
  • Cutting Board
  • Chef's Knife (To dice parsley and onion)

Ingredients
  

  • 5 Whole Eggs Set one aside for the egg wash
  • 1.5 Pounds Breakfast Sausage
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
  • 1 Teaspoon Rubbed Sage You can also use 3-4 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Parsley Either Flat leaf or curley, finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Parmesan Grated
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
  • 1/4 Cup Flour Unbleached, White, All Purpose
  • 2 Tablespoons Milk Whisk with 1 of the eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs Unseasoned
  • 1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs Unseasoned
  • 4 Tablespoons Honey Mustard A 2 to 1 ratio of mustard to honey works great. 4 Tablespoons of mustard to 2 Tablespoons honey for example. Adjust to your taste.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Line the baking pan with parchment paper
  • In a medium saucepan, fill with water and bring the water to a boil. Add 4 eggs and boil for 7 minutes. Pour out the hot water, run cold water into the saucepan in the sink for 60 seconds to help cool the eggs. Gently peel, rinse and dry the eggs with a paper towel
  • Sprinkle some flour onto one of your dinner plates and roll each boiled egg into the flour and tap gently on the side of the bowl to remove excess flour. The flour helps the sausage from slipping around on the egg. Set aside.
  • Finely dice onion and parsley. Mix sausage, onion, sage, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper by hand in the medium bowl. Divide into 4 equal sized balls of sausage . Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more if you have time. It's easier to work with if it's cold but you can do this without the refrigeration step, just add a bit of flour to your hands.
  • Layout a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle some flour on it. Remove the sausage balls from the refrigerator (if you chose to refrigerate) and flatten to an even thickness with the palm or your hand to about a 5-6 inch diameter. (Using a little flour on your hands is helpful to prevent sticking.) Place the egg in the middle of each flattened ball of sausage and gently mold the sausage around each floured egg and roll it in your palms to smooth it and make sure it surrounds the egg completely without holes or breaks. It's a little hard to gauge but do your best to make it an even thickness all around. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to overnight. This refrigeration step will help prevent splitting of the sausage. You could stop here if you are making these a day ahead.
  • Set up your coating station by filling your soup bowl with 1 egg whisked with 2 Tablespoons milk and 1 dinner plates with 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1 dinner plate with 1/2 cup panko crumbs
  • Roll the sausage/egg combo in the bread crumbs
  • Roll the sausage/egg combo in the egg/milk wash
  • Roll the sausage/egg combo in the panko
  • Place onto your lined cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until the sausage reads 165 and the panko is beginning to brown

Notes

  1. The sausage on the Scotch Eggs can split when cooking.  They aren't as pretty when served whole in this case but they still taste great. This recipe is pretty reliable if you use the refrigeration steps and follow each step of the coating process as this helps bind the exterior.  Cutting the Scotch Egg in half can make a beautiful Brunch addition.    It can also disguise the fact that the sausage split in baking.
  2. Serve with a bit of honey mustard to kick it up over the edge.  Experiment with mustards (Stone ground, Dijon, etc.)
  3. The sausage recipe is adapted from "Pie" by Angela Boggiano which is a book I recommend that you add to your cookbook collection if you can find a copy.  Mine is dog eared and stained from use.  This book focuses mainly on the savory pie so prevalent in British communities but the author does a wonderful job with photos and seasonings. 
  4. These work wonderfully if you make these a day ahead.  Leave out steps 7-10 (breading the exterior) if you do this.  Instead,  roll the sausage/egg combo right before putting them into the oven.  
  5. Cut each egg in half and serve 8.  They are beautiful served this way.  These are large and 1/2 an egg will be plenty for most.  
Keyword Brunch idea, Picnic Idea, Scotch Egg, Sausage Wrapped Egg