Some claim that the scotch egg was first invented in the middle 1700's London as a snack for wealthy travelers. Others claim it was the late 1800's, also in England, with Indian origins, served with minced lamb, and served with gravy and without breadcrumbs. The scotch egg has remained favorite in English cuisine for centuries.
So why is it called a Scotch Egg? It comes from the word "scotching", the chopping or scoring of meat to tenderize it. This deep-fried snack can also be used with ground beef and oven-baked. A traditional Scotch Egg is a boiled egg coated in pork sausage meat, with an outer crust of bread crumbs.
Often served at picnics as a snack, these treats can be served hot or cold. It also makes for a great hot breakfast served with the home fries. Even though there are different variations with what meat is used, the recipe is pretty much the same throughout the year.
For this recipe we will be oven baking them.
INGREDIENTS:
MAKES: 4
4 boiled eggs (you want to cook the egg slightly less than a typical boiled egg, so that the yolk is still soft, about 4-5 mins, then immediately into a bowl of ice to finish the process)
2 eggs, beaten in a separate bowl
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 teaspoon ground onion or garlic
1 lb chopped beef or pork
A separate bowl of flour for dredging (about 1 cup)
A separate bowl of breadcrumbs (about a 1- 1/2 cups)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
After boiling your eggs put them directly into an ice bowl.
Mix together the meat and spices and form into 4 balls.
Flatten each ball between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper to form a thin patty. About a 1/2 inch to ensure the whole egg is covered**(Look at tips #4)
Wrap each egg with meat, remove plastic/wax then dredge in flour, beaten eggs, and lastly breadcrumbs and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Be sure to press the bread crumbs into the eggs to make sure it sticks.
Repeat the process with the following eggs.
Bake for about 30-40 mins until they are golden brown. Check occasionally, turning often to prevent burning. If using pork or lamb, make sure the meat is no longer pink.
TIPS:
Use eggs that are at least a week old, they are easier to peel when boiled. Also dip them into an ice bath after to ensure easy peeling.
I prefer to bake them instead of deep fry. Not only will it save calories, it's less cholesterol.
You can make this with either chopped beef or pork. I haven't made it with turkey or lamb meat so I'm not sure the cooking time.
** This helps when wrapping the egg and eliminates the meat from sticking to your hands.
Nutritional Info: (this info is for use with ground beef)
Calories- 300
Total Fat- 21 g
Saturated Fat- 5 g
Total Carbohydrate- 16 g
Dietary Fiber- 0 g
Sugars- 16 g
Protein- 12 g
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