6largeeggs (4 for boiling, 2 for coating)(tip: boil 2 extra in case of breakage when peeling)
1lb.(450 g) good quality sausages or sausage meat, gluten-free if necessary
¼cup(30 g) flour(or sweet rice flour for gluten-free)
1cup(100 g) panko crumbs or fine dry bread crumbs, gluten-free if necessary (*If using gluten-free panko crumbs, give them a quick pulse in a food processor or mini-chopper to break up any large, hard crumbs)
2-3cups (500-750 ml) neutral, high-heat cooking oil, for fryingenough to be about 2inches/5 cm deep in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan
Instructions
To soft-boil the eggs: Bring a medium saucepan half-filled with water and a teaspoon of salt added to a boil. Lower in 4 to 6 large eggs. I like to boil 6 eggs so I have a couple extra in case some break while peeling them. Boil them for 6 minutes. While they are boiling, prepare a bowl filled with cold water and a few handfuls of ice cubes. After 6 minutes, remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and put them directly into the ice water. Chill them for 10 minutes.Note: if using smaller eggs, cook them for 5 minutes.
Crack the eggs all over gently, then peel them carefully, trying not to break the whites, but no worries - it does sometimes happen.
If using sausage links, slit the casing and peel it off. Roll the sausage meat into 4 equal-sized balls.
Wet your hands and take one of the sausage balls into the palm of your hand and flatten it until it's about ½-inch (1 cm) thick.
Lay one of the peeled, boiled eggs onto the sausage patty on your hand, and bring the meat up around the egg, gently pinching it together and then pinching any cracks together. Smooth and pinch it carefully until the egg is completely encased in sausage meat, with no open cracks, re-wetting your hands as needed so the sausage meat doesn't stick to them. Be gentle so as not to break the soft egg inside. Repeat with the remaining eggs and sausage balls,
Set out 3 shallow bowls. Put the flour into one bowl, two raw eggs into another bowl and beat them lightly with a fork, and the bread crumbs into the third bowl.
Carefully roll one sausage-coated egg in flour, making sure to coat it completely,. Pinch together any bits of sausage that may have cracked. Then roll the egg in the beaten eggs, and then roll it in the bread crumbs, again making sure it is completely coated and has no cracks. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Chill the eggs on a plate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to firm up.
Heat the oil until it is about 325℉ (170℃). If you don't have a thermometer, you can tell if it is ready by standing the handle of a wooden spoon (or other wooden utensil) into the oil. If bubbles immediately well up around the handle, it is hot enough to fry. (If not, let it heat up some more and test it again.)
Gently re-shape the Scotch eggs and lower them, one at a time with a slotted spoon, into the hot oil. Only fry as many as will fit easily into the pan - you may have to fry them in batches of two at a time. Fry them until they are well browned and the sausage meat is cooked through, turning them several times. This will take 6-8 minutes. You may have to remove one egg from the oil and poke into it with the tip of a knife to check that the sausage is cooked through.
When they are finished, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels for 5 minutes. Serve them immediately or pack them for a picnic or to eat later - let them cool completely, then chill them for up to 5 days.Serve at room temperature with mustard or chutney.
Notes
If the Scotch eggs are cooked perfectly, the sausage will be fully cooked but the egg yolk will still be slightly runny. However, if preferred, the yolks can be hard-boiled.Use good quality uncooked sausage, like British bangers or Cumberland sausages, or turkey sausages, either in links or as loose sausage meat. Let the Scotch eggs cool completely before packing them into a sealed container and refrigerating them so that the crumb coating stays crisp.