Scotch eggs
Scotch eggs are a British picnic classic: a soft-boiled egg wrapped in seasoned meat, breaded and fried golden. The secret is 6 minutes of boiling and an immediate ice bath — the egg keeps cooking while it fries, and the yolk still stays soft and creamy.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Boiling the eggs 6 min
- Ice bath 15 min
- Wrapping in meat 15 min
- Breading and chilling 18 min
- Frying 16 min
Step by step
0 / 6 doneSoft-boil the eggs
Bring water to the boil, lower to a gentle simmer and carefully lower in 4 fridge-cold eggs on a spoon. Boil for exactly 6 minutes — the egg will keep setting in the hot oil. Meanwhile prepare a bowl of water with ice cubes.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs
TipLower the eggs in on a spoon rather than dropping them, and keep the water at a calm simmer — that way the shells rarely crack.
Six minutes — after frying the yolk will still be creamy.Chill and peel
Move the eggs to the ice water and leave for 15 minutes. Peel under a thin stream of cold water, starting at the blunt end — soft-boiled eggs are fragile, so take your time. Pat the peeled eggs dry with kitchen paper.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs
TipA dry egg grips the meat better — moisture makes the coat slide off during frying.
Season the meat
Mix the minced pork with mustard, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Work it only until the seasoning is distributed — over-kneading makes the coat rubbery. Divide into four equal portions.
Ingredients: 450 g minced pork · 1 tsp mustard · 1 tsp thyme · 1 pinch nutmeg · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper
TipFry a small flat patty and taste it — the only way to check seasoning in raw meat.
Wrap the eggs
Flatten a portion of meat on a piece of cling film into a disc about 1 cm thick. Dust the egg lightly with flour (it helps the meat cling), place it in the middle and gather the edges of the film upwards, closing the meat around the egg. Smooth the seams with your fingers — any gap will open in hot oil.
Ingredients: 450 g minced pork · 1 tsp mustard · 1 tsp thyme · 1 pinch nutmeg · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper
Cling film turns sticky meat into an obedient coat.Bread them
Set out three bowls: flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs. Roll each egg in turn through flour, egg and breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on with your palm. For a thicker crust repeat the egg and crumb dip. Chill for 10 minutes.
Ingredients: 60 g plain flour · 2 pcs eggs · 150 g breadcrumbs · 1000 ml oil
TipUse one hand for dry and one for wet — otherwise you will be wearing batter gloves after two eggs.
Double breading — a thicker, crunchier shell.Fry until golden
Heat the oil to 170°C — a cube of bread should brown in about 40–50 seconds. Fry two eggs at a time for 7–8 minutes (two batches, about 16 minutes in all), turning them with a slotted spoon until evenly golden. The meat must be cooked through: cut the first egg open — the coat should show no pink (on a thermometer, at least 72°C). If it is underdone, finish the eggs for 8–10 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Drain on a rack, not paper, and wait 5 minutes before cutting.
Ingredients: 60 g plain flour · 2 pcs eggs · 150 g breadcrumbs · 1000 ml oil
TipOil that is too hot burns the crust before the meat cooks through, oil that is too cool soaks in — keep it at about 170°C.
A rack instead of paper: the bottom stays crisp too.
Before you start
Bake instead of frying
Drizzle or spray the breaded eggs with oil and bake for 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C, turning halfway. The crust is less golden but the kitchen stays clean.
Next-day version
Scotch eggs are just as good cold. Keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days and serve with mustard or piccalilli.
Sausage instead of mince
Squeeze the filling out of good raw sausages — it is already seasoned and has the perfect texture for wrapping.
