Scotch eggs originated in the Whitby area of Yorkshire, UK, in the late 19th century. Originally they were not covered in sausage meat but in a rich, creamy fish paste before being sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Their name in those days was “Scotties”, allegedly because they were made at an eatery called William J Scott & Sons – hence the term “Scotch eggs” was adopted.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 300g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper), peeled and chopped into chunks
- 25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or vegetarian alternative)
- 2 tsp Sabatino Tartufi white truffle oil, plus extra to serve
- large knob of Sabatino Tartufi white truffle butter
- small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
- 6 large free-range eggs (2 beaten lightly, 4 left whole in their shells)
- plain flour for coating
- 125g breadcrumbs
- sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- sea salt flakes, to serve (or black truffle salt, if you prefer)
Method:
- Boil the potatoes for 15–20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and leave to steam for two minutes, then mash with the cheese, white truffle oil, white truffle butter, parsley and lots of seasoning. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, put the four whole eggs in a pan of boiling water and boil for seven minutes. Drain, cool under running water to stop them cooking, then peel carefully.
- Once the mash has cooled, divide into four equal amounts (100–120g/egg). Using lightly floured hands, press each piece, one at a time, into a flat disc about the size of your upturned hand. Put the disc in your palm and put an egg in the middle of it, then wrap the disc around the egg to enclose, making sure there are no gaps or places where the mash is too thin.
- Once all the eggs are covered, put the flour, two beaten eggs and the breadcrumbs into separate shallow bowls. Dip each covered egg first into the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess as you go. Gently press the breadcrumbs into the eggs, using your hands to keep them secure, then dip back into the egg and again into the breadcrumbs, repeating the shaking and pressing.
- Heat enough sunflower oil in a large pan to allow the eggs to be completely submerged – it’s hot enough when a digital thermometer reads 170°C. Cook the eggs in batches for 2–3 minutes, or until crisp and golden, then cut into halves or quarters and serve with sea salt.
Tip: the cooking times are calculated to make sure the Scotch eggs have runny yolks. If you want the eggs more hard-boiled, boil them for an extra 3–4 minutes in step 2.
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