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Easy scotch eggs

Scotch eggs on a table with pickle

Easy scotch eggs

Name: Easy scotch eggs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Makes 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 5 large eggs; 300g good-quality pork sausage skinned; 1 tsp black peppercorns crushed; 140g cooked ham shredded; 25g sage, apple & onion stuffing mix; 1 tsp chopped sage; 1 tsp chopped thyme; 1 tsp chopped parsley; 100g plain flour seasoned, plus extra for dusting; 100g dried breadcrumbs; sunflower oil for frying; piccalilli to serve

Barney Desmazery

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Makes 4

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.43 ratingsRate

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Follow our steps for the perfect Scotch eggs. With a crispy crumb, sausagemeat stuffing and soft boiled egg centre, this really is the ultimate picnic snack.

Low sugar

Nut-free

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Barney's tips for making the perfect Scotch eggs:

Scotch eggs can be served whole, or cut into halves or quarters. I normally enjoy them alone as a picnic snack, or served with a fresh salad, chips and selection of sauces. They also make a great lunchbox snack.
The timings given in the recipe for soft-boiled eggs are based on eggs at room temperature. If your eggs are fridge-cold, add an extra 30 seconds and boil them for 8 mins in total. For runny yolks, boil room-temperature eggs for 6 mins 30 seconds, or fridge-cold eggs for 7 mins. For fully set yolks, boil the eggs for 9 mins, regardless of whether they are chilled or at room temperature.
I sometimes make these Scotch eggs in advance for a quick snack, then chilling and serving cold. Keep them covered in the fridge and make them no more than three days ahead for the best texture and flavour.
For a simple vegetarian version, make up a pack of sage and onion stuffing following pack instructions, then leave to cool completely. Use it in place of the sausagemeat, pressing it evenly around the boiled eggs before coating with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.

Can you freeze scotch eggs?

We wouldn't recommend freezing these, as the texture of the egg will likely be affected. They're much better if eaten within 24 hours.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

5 large eggs
300g good-quality pork sausage

skinned
1 tsp black peppercorns

crushed
140g cooked ham

shredded
25g sage, apple & onion stuffing mix
1 tsp chopped sage
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 tsp chopped parsley
100g plain flour

seasoned, plus extra for dusting
100g dried breadcrumbs
sunflower oil

for frying
piccalilli

to serve

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Nutrition: per egg

kcal682
fat39g
saturates11g
carbs48g
sugars4g

low
fibre3g
protein33g
salt2.48g

Method

step 1

Bring a pan of salted water to a rapid boil, then lower four of the eggs into the pan and simmer for 7 mins 30 secs exactly. Scoop out and place in a bowl of iced water, cracking the shells a little (this makes them easier to peel later). Leave them to cool completely, then peel and set aside. Can be boiled the day before.
step 2

Put the sausagemeat, pepper, ham, stuffing and herbs in a small bowl, mix to combine, then divide into four equal balls. Squash one of the balls between a piece of cling film until it’s as flat as possible. One at a time, lightly flour each cooked egg, then use the cling film to help roll the sausagemeat around the egg to completely encase. Repeat with the remaining sausageballs and eggs.
step 3

Beat the remaining egg and put on a plate. Put the flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plates. Roll the encased eggs in the flour, then the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Can be prepared up to a day in advance.
step 4

To cook the eggs, heat 5cm of the oil in a wide saucepan or wok until it reaches 160C on a cooking thermometer or until a few breadcrumbs turn golden after 10 secs in the oil. Depending on the size of your pan, lower as many eggs as you can into the oil, and cook for 8-10 mins until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper, leave to cool a little, then serve halved with some piccalilli.

Barney Desmazery

As Good Food's longest-serving team member, Barney has written and tested thousands of recipes, worked with many of Britain's top chefs and created videos, live events and masterclasses. After gaining a chef's dipolma and working in restaurants across London, France and Australia, he joined Good Food, where he specialises in sourdough baking, foraging, seasonal ingredients and open-fire cooking. Barney has also published his own cookbook One Dish Four Ways. See Barney’s recipes.

Barney Desmazery chef headshot

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2013

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A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.43 ratings

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