Scotch Eggs with Herb Mayonnaise

These soft-centred Scotch Eggs with Herb Mayonnaise are perfect for picnics and light meals.

scotch eggs on plate with herb mayonnaise

If there is one thing that is getting me through the middle-of-the night feeds with the baby at the moment, it’s TV. It happens to be the only time that I get to watch TV, uninterrupted, and something which is not Peppa Pig.

Lately, I have been slowly making my way through some old episodes of a few popular reality cooking shows from Australia, such as MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules. I’m loving the current season of My Kitchen Rules, and I have my money on the “Gourmet Pommies”, Will and Steve.

scotch eggs with salad on plate

One particular dish which whet my appetite was their Scotch Eggs with Herb Mayonnaise. My memory of Scotch eggs from my childhood are of hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat and crumbed, and which were often eaten cold on picnics, usually sliced thickly and wodged between slices of white bread.

When I saw this humble picnic fare recently on TV, I was intrigued by how it had been elevated technically into a somewhat complex and challenging dish.

The eggs were boiled for only a few minutes so that the yolks remained soft-set, and the challenge was to then wrap these fragile eggs in sausage mince, to double-coat them in breadcrumbs before deep-frying them until golden, and to finish the cooking process in the oven, all the while ensuring that the yolks remained soft-set upon serving.

The contestants went through (and wasted) about two dozen eggs before the eggs were ultimately “cooked to perfection” (a somewhat irritating phrase which has been repeated too often in this show this season), and were ultimately awarded a 9 out of 10 for their effort.

I have never had the inkling to make Scotch eggs at home. But one evening, I found myself looking at the contents of our fridge and thinking to myself, “I’ve got a carton of eggs. I’ve got a packet of pork sausages. Toddler is watching Peppa Pig and baby is sleeping in the sling. Rather than serve breakfast for dinner, let’s make Scotch eggs!”

scotch eggs whole with herb mayonnaise

Prepared for failure and frustration at attempting a fussy recipe with two young children at my side, I was utterly surprised that my first attempt ever at making Scotch eggs was a success. My husband, not used to seeing me in the kitchen these past few months, came home and asked me what we were celebrating.

The main challenge I found in this recipe was to peel the soft-boiled eggs without breaking them. The rest of the recipe is quite a doddle to follow, and there was much relief at the end of the deep-frying and baking time to find that the yolks were still soft and runny. Most of the flavour is in the sausage mixture, so it goes without saying that you should use good-quality pork sausages.

I wanted a bit more freshness in my Scotch eggs, so I added some finely chopped parsely and sage to the sausage meat.

I served the Scotch eggs with a leafy green salad and the herb mayonnaise from the recipe; the latter was quite lovely on its own, but I found that it didn’t go so well with the warm Scotch eggs. If anything, the sausage meat was crying out for a splodge of tomato sauce or ketchup.

All in all, these Scotch Eggs with Herb Mayonnaise were really delicious. I’m loving the inspiration that I am getting from these cooking shows, and I’m particularly loving being back in the kitchen again.

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Scotch Eggs with Herb Mayonnaise

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  • Author: eatlittlebird.com
  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Makes 4

Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Rules.

Ingredients

For the Scotch Eggs

  • 4 eggs
  • 400g (14 oz) good quality pork sausage meat
  • 12 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel
  • 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • 15g (¼ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 90g (1¼ cup) fresh breadcrumbs, plus extra, to coat

For the Herb Mayonnaise

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sunflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 teaspoons finely chopped parsley and chives

Instructions

For the Scotch Eggs

  1. Place the eggs in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and boil the eggs for 2-3 minutes. Remove the eggs and place them in iced water to cool completely. Peel the eggs and set aside.
  2. Combine the sausage meat with parsley, ground fennel, mustard and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the meat mixture into four portions.
  3. Using slightly moistened hands, roll one portion of the meat mixture into a ball and flatten evenly in the palm of your hand. Place an egg in the centre and fold over sausage meat to form an even layer around egg.
  4. Repeat with remaining sausage meat and eggs.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  6. Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 180°C (350°F).
  7. Lightly dust each meat-wrapped egg with flour, then dip in the extra egg, and then coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat to form a double layer.
  8. Gently drop the eggs into the oil and fry, turning halfway, for 2-3 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
  9. Place the eggs on the prepared baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes or until extra crisp.
  10. Serve the Scotch Eggs warm or at room temperature with the Herb Mayonnaise.

For the Herb Mayonnaise

  1. Place the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper into a small food processor.
  2. With the motor running, very slowly add the oil (drop by drop), until the mixture starts to thicken and emulsify.
  3. Taste for seasoning.
  4. Stir through the chopped herbs.
  5. If you do not have a food processor, you can also make mayonnaise by simply using a bowl and whisk, but it will take much longer. A handheld blender with a whisk attachment is also very good for making mayonnaise.

Kitchen Notes

The flavour of the Scotch eggs will depend a lot on the type of pork sausage that you use. Choose one that you know and like.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Serves 4
  • Calories: 463
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 821.1mg
  • Fat: 26.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 27.3g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 27.3g
  • Cholesterol: 305.5mg

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10 comments

  1. Dani Elis 29 April 2015

    I have been watching ‘My Kitchen Rules’ too… it’s addictive!

    These look great!

    Wish that was my lunch today not some scrappy leftovers! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Paula 29 April 2015

    Glad to see you again!!!!!! 😀 You’re a superwoman, Peppa Pig, a baby, and recipes like this!!!

    I love Scotch eggs, we ate them for the first time in Paris (yes, not so romantic).

    I don’t associate them with my childhood, so. The closest thing (very tasty too) were some eggs like this, but instead of meat, between the egg and bread it was bechamel. Lots of!! Delicious 😛

    If you were surprised because your first try was successful, you can imagine when I also get in the first attempt, I’m so clumsy, I couldn’t believe it! 😛
    Mayo with sage and dill, it deserves a try!!!

    Have a nice week, Thanh!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 29 April 2015

      Thanks, Paula!
      Ooh I love the sound of the eggs with béchamel. In fact, I love anything with béchamel!

      The recipe for this mayonnaise is really nice but I don’t think it went to well with these warm Scotch eggs. Maybe if the Scotch eggs were served cold? But all in all, it was a great recipe to try and I would definitely make it again 🙂

      Reply
  3. mimi 29 April 2015

    wow. ive never been very impressed with Scotch eggs before, but yours look superb! I especially love that the eggs aren’t hard-boiled. Beautiful photos, too!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 29 April 2015

      Thanks, Mimi! I’ve also never been that impressed by Scotch eggs so it was interesting to see this made on TV and with a slight twist.

      Reply
  4. Rushi 17 May 2015

    Ooooh Thanh, I’m very very very impressed. Your family is lucky to have you. Hope all’s well on your end. Might give these a go when I have a bit more time 🙂
    xx

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 19 May 2015

      Thanks, Rushi! All is good over here, and I hope all is well with you and your family also 🙂 Thanh xx

      Reply
  5. Madeleine 25 March 2018

    These Scotch eggs were much easier to make than expected! I’m going to make them more often – they were a hit with the family!

    Reply
  6. Julia 13 April 2018

    Please give me a piece. It looks very tasty! I can not wait to try this great recipe! THANK YOU!






    Reply