Scotch eggs are fun, and quite easy to make – and because they can be enjoyed hot or cold, they make a great snack or treat. These freshly made, warm scotch eggs are dramatically better than their shop bought equivalents.
As with all simple recipes there are a few basics you need to get right; firstly, use high quality sausage meat – it's very reasonably priced and makes a big difference to the taste, enjoyment and nutritional value of the snack. I usually buy some of my favourite lightly spiced pork (and leek) sausages, peel the skin off and use the meat inside as the foundation.
I also add coriander to the mix for the meat, as I enjoy the spice it adds, but if you prefer something milder use you can substitute this for parsley.
The other important thing is; boil the eggs for long enough so the whites go firm – but the yolk stays as soft as possible – add the eggs to simmering water and cooking for 7 minutes should be enough . A more robust egg white helps make encasing them easier, and a soft yolk helps balance out the drier sausage meat.
With a simple green salad and some chutney, a halved scotch egg makes an impressive starter too.
Notes
I personally love these served warm, quartered, and with some red onion chutney, or hot chili sauce for dipping as a starter. However if you let these (whole) eggs cool down, they should keep fresh for a few days in the refrigerator.
