Scotch Eggs 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.

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!”

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.

5 stars (1 review)

Scotch Eggs with Herb Mayonnaise

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird

Prep40 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total1 hour hr

Serves: 4

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

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Ingredients

For the Scotch Eggs

• 4 eggs
• 400 g (14 oz) pork sausage meat
• 1-2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly cracked
• 15 g (¼ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
• plain flour, (all-purpose flour) for dusting
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 90 g (1 ¼ 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
• black pepper, freshly cracked
• 200 ml (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped

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 (without fan).
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.
• OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
  All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
• CONVERSIONS
  To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition Information Nutrition Information

Calories: 463kcal, Carbohydrates: 27.3g, Protein: 27.3g, Fat: 26.1g, Cholesterol: 305.5mg, Sodium: 821.1mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g

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