Treat Yourself to a Scotch Egg in the Fryer This Easter
Dying hard-boiled eggs for Easter is great (and fun!), but this year I have a better decoration for your eggs: sausage. The Scotch egg is perhaps the most delicious of all boiled eggs. Typically deep-fried to maintain its plump shape, now you can do so with less oil and less mess in the fryer. Here’s my recipe for crispy and juicy air fryer scotch eggs.
What is a Scotch egg?
Conceptually, Scotch eggs are simple: they are a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage. The hefty ball is then coated in breadcrumbs and fried to cook the sausage through. The lucky eater will be able to crack the salty, fleshy surface to reveal a wonderful egg surprise. It’s a whole breakfast ball.
Beyond the basics, you can modify it to make it your own. Season the sausage with the spices and fresh herbs you like. Add bacon, onion or sliced ham to the mixture. Season the breadcrumbs with cayenne pepper or sesame seeds. You can have fun with it or keep it simple to make the sausage and eggs shine.
In this recipe, I skip the deep frying altogether and use a simple air frying method. The prep is pretty much the same, but whenever I can get something to work well in a miniature countertop convection machine, I do it. It’s a hands-free cooking process that uses less oil, allows me to clean up faster, and keeps my one-bedroom apartment from smelling like a diner.
If you are looking for an air fryer:
How to cook Scotch eggs
1. Boil the eggs
However you like to boil your eggs, this will be the best way to do it. I usually steam the eggs for 12 minutes, which results in a soft-boiled yolk with jam. The eggs will cook further in the fryer, so if the yolk is slightly undercooked, it means you’ll end up with a hard-cooked egg. Cool the eggs and peel them.
2. Prepare the sausage mixture.
I like to add pieces of defrosted bread to the mixture to prevent the sausage casing from becoming tough. I added two tablespoons of the seasoned stuffing mixture (stovetop stuffing in my case) to a large bowl and mixed with two tablespoons of hot water to moisten it. Add minced meat, sweet or spicy – at your discretion. Add salt and seasonings and mix well until smooth.
3. Wrap the eggs
Add a little flour to the bowl, about half a cup. Dredge each egg in flour to obtain a light coating. This will help the sausage stick to the egg. (I like to keep a cooling rack on the baking sheet nearby throughout the process so the eggs have a base while they wait for the next step.) I quartered the sausage mixture, but you can probably end up with five eggs. covered with thinner layers of sausage.
Lay out a sheet of plastic cling film. Place one portion of sausage on the plastic wrap and place another sheet on top. Break the sausage into a six-inch patty. It doesn’t have to be perfect; the eggs are still oblong. Remove the top layer and place a floured egg in the center. Lift up the edges of the plastic wrap to fit the egg into the sausage. Using your fingers (outside the plastic wrap), work the sausage over all uncovered areas and seal the seam with plastic wrap.
Unwrap the egg and invert it onto a wire rack to hang while you repeat this method to coat the other eggs.
4. Roll the outside in breadcrumbs.
You should already have excess flour in one bowl from where it originally coated the eggs. In another bowl, beat a raw egg. Add breadcrumbs to a third bowl. Season the breadcrumbs with salt and any other herbs or spices you like. Working one egg at a time, coat it completely in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Return the egg to the grill and repeat the breading with the remaining eggs. (You can do this entire process a day in advance and leave them covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook the eggs.) Preheat the air fryer to 350°F, and allow the breading to dry slightly during this time. about five minutes.
5. Air fry the Scotch eggs.
Using an oil sprayer, coat the eggs with a layer of vegetable oil, carefully turning them as needed to coat the bottom. If you don’t have an oil syringe, you can carefully apply the oil with a pastry brush. Place the eggs in the fryer for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them in the last five minutes.
You can check the readiness of the sausage layer using a thermometer. Mine reached 160°F for the pork after 20 minutes. ( Check the temperature here depending on the sausage mince.) Cool the Scotch eggs on a clean cooling rack for a few minutes before cracking them.
This recipe makes a hard-boiled Scotch egg. I particularly like pork sausage blends that include fennel seed, but you should use what works for you. Enjoy as is, with toast or even ketchup. Finally, an Easter egg to get excited about. Although you probably shouldn’t hide them on your lawn.
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs Recipe
Ingredients:
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5 eggs, 4 boiled and peeled
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2 tablespoons stuffing mixture (I used stovetop stuffing)
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1 strip raw bacon, chopped
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1 pound ground sausage
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½ teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon dried herbs (such as parsley, sage, or chopped rosemary)
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1/2 cup flour
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¼ cup breadcrumbs, canned or fresh
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½ teaspoon salt
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Neutral vegetable oil for drizzling eggs.
1. Pour 2 tablespoons hot water over the filling in a large bowl. Add ground bacon, sausage, salt and dried herbs. Stir until smooth.
2. Add flour to the bowl. Dredge each egg in flour to achieve a light coating. Place the eggs on a cooling rack located next to the baking sheet. Keep a bowl with extra flour.
3. Divide the sausage mixture into four portions. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap. Place one portion of sausage on the plastic wrap and place another sheet on top. Break the sausage into a six-inch patty. Remove the top layer and place a floured egg in the center. Use plastic wrap to place the egg inside the sausage. Be sure to pinch the seam of the sausage. Return the egg to the grill. Repeat the same with all the eggs.
4. The flour is already in one bowl. In another bowl, beat a raw egg. In a third bowl, add the breadcrumbs and the second half teaspoon of salt. One egg at a time, coat completely in flour, then in egg and finally in breadcrumbs. Return the egg to the grill. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F on the air fry setting and allow the breading to dry during this time, about five minutes.
5. Using an oil sprayer, completely coat the eggs with a layer of vegetable oil. Place the eggs in the fryer for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them in the last five minutes. Cool on a clean wire rack for a few minutes before serving.