The Art of Mastering the Scotch Egg

With St. Patty’s Day coming up, Irish food and drink will once again be the subject of millions of people’s cravings. If you’ve ever been to The Pub Orlando on International Drive, a place that looks torn right out of the streets of Dublin, then you’ve had the pleasure of tasting all sorts of delicious Irish fare. While The Pub offers some traditional favorites like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie, there’s a lot of American fusion as well, such as buffalo chicken pub sliders. Of all the menu items, the most captivating was the scotch egg, a soft-boiled egg cooked expertly and enveloped by a crispy layer of sausage. 

Trying this dish for the first time was a game changer – it seemed like the perfect hors d’oeuvre for tailgates, a savory snack, or even the quintessential St. Patty’s Day party. Here’s how to make a scotch egg inspired by the one served at The Pub.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs or panko
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 7 ounces ground sausage of your choice
• Canola oil for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Wholegrain mustard
• Stout ale

1. First, start on the eggs themselves as those will take the longest. Only use 4 eggs as the remaining two will be used as an egg wash for the crispy parmesan breadcrumb coating. Place the 4 eggs in boiling water for about 7 minutes. When those are cooked, remove eggs from boiling water and transfer them to an ice water bath to halt the cooking process.

Life hack: use a spoon to crack and peel the eggs by running the spoon underneath the shell once you’ve found an “in” point. Be gentle to avoid damaging the egg. Set peeled eggs aside.

2. Prepare an egg wash and coating station first before handling the raw sausage. Designate one bowl for the breadcrumb and parmesan cheese mixture, and another bowl for flour. Lastly, whisk the two eggs that were set aside prior and put them in a separate bowl.

3. Now, it’s time to prepare the meat. Split the sausage into 4 equal parts and flatten one serving with your hands to form a patty. Lay a soft-boiled egg in the middle of the patty and wrap the sausage around the egg, forming a cocoon. Seal it completely and do the same with the remaining 3 eggs.

4. To coat the eggs, gently place them in the bowl of flour and roll them around to coat completely. Shake off excess flour. Next, coat the eggs in the egg wash mixture before lastly rolling them in the breadcrumbs and parmesan.

5. Scotch eggs shouldn’t be deep fried, but rather shallow fried. In a large pot, fill oil to about 2 inches. Set the pot over medium heat; the oil should reach 375 degrees. Place the coated eggs in the pot and let them cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Cooked eggs should be transferred to a plate covered with paper towels for the excess oil to drain. Season eggs with salt and pepper to taste.

6. As for the dipping sauce, The Pub serves their scotch eggs with an incredible spicy mustard. Therefore, regular American mustard just won’t do. Take 5 tablespoons of whole grain mustard and two tablespoons of stout ale to create a tangy, Irish mustard. Enjoy!