Scotch Eggs - Guest Blog Post

We are pleased to welcome Judy Larkin of The Larkin Tea Company, LLC as our guest blogger today. Judy prepared the Scotch Eggs for the pot luck luncheon held earlier this week. She has graciously offered to share her recipe and a bit of the history of Scotch Eggs. These are perfect for High Tea or a quick snack!

Fortnum & Masons, the famous London department store, claims to have invented Scotch eggs. In the 1730s, Fortnum’s had to create foods to suit its wealthy customers, whose far-flung country estates could only be reached by long-distance coach rides. Portable snacks were in demand, so Fortnum’s came up with a number of ideas, including wrapping a hard-boiled egg – which in those days was probably a pullet’s egg – in sausage meat and coating it in fried breadcrumbs. Substantial, tasty and full of protein, it was an excellent way to stave off hunger pangs. They claim that the name has nothing to do with Scotland; ‘scotched’ was merely another word for ‘processed’.

Another explanation is that the recipe originated in the Lowlands of Scotland, and was made by poor farmers who would have kept chickens and pigs. It was a poor man’s lunch produced from leftovers that were easy to carry.
Scotch eggs can be served hot with gravy at high tea, or cold as a snack. It is perhaps as a snack that they are known best, since Scotch eggs are often featured as pub grub being served with a green salad, piccalilli or pickled walnuts. Also makes great picnic food.

My version is perfect for those of us who are wheat and gluten intolerant. Unlike many gluten-free recipes, it actually tastes good.

INGREDIENTS  Preparation Time: 20 minutes   Cooking Time: 10 minutes
8 large eggs (obviously using medium eggs would make more scotch eggs.)
1 lb. ground pork sausage meat
½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or parsley or
½ teaspoon rubbed dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried sweet marjoram
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
½ cup dried breadcrumbs* or panko breadcrumbs (might take more breadcrumbs)
Cooking Spray

Boil the eggs for 10-12 minutes, and then cool under cold running water. Carefully peel off the shells and put whole eggs on one side to cool.  Can prepare ahead of time.

Put sausage meat into a large bowl. Add next seven ingredients and work into the sausage meat with hands. Divide into eight equal amounts.

Make a coating for each egg. Flatten and then make a patty with the sausage meat. Work it around the egg with wet hands to completely cover with an even layer.

Lightly dust the sausage coating with flour.

Roll the sausage coated eggs in the beaten egg, and then in dried breadcrumbs to evenly cover.

Two methods to cook:

1)     Preheat oven to 450° F.  Mist each egg with cooking spray and arrange on baking sheet.  Can also place on cookie sheet within baking sheet so the eggs do not sit in grease.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and the sausage is cooked through. 

2)       Heat the oil to 350-375°F. Carefully put in 2-3 eggs at a time and deep fry for 4-5 minutes until they turn a deep golden color. Turn as they cook so eggs brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on crumpled kitchen towel and repeat with the remaining eggs.

Eat cold, halved lengthwise. Beware: Do not try to freeze.
* Can use Hol Grain Coating Mix, a Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free and MSG Free Product

Judy Larkin, Certified Tea Specialist
The Larkin Tea Co. LLC
545 Warm Springs Avenue
Martinsburg, WV 25404
Tel: 304-707-0142
www.larkinteacompany.com

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