Scotch eggs
Hard-cooked eggs wrapped in sausage, crumbed, and fried.
United Kingdom · Firm, Crispy · A project · Researched
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 32 min
- Serves
- 4
Saucepan · Deep heavy frying pot · Cooking thermometer · Three shallow bowls · Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs for the centres
- 1 large egg, beaten, for coating
- 400 g raw pork sausage meat
- 30 g plain flour
- 80 g dry breadcrumbs
- Neutral frying oil to 5 cm depth, without filling the pot above one-third
- A pinch of pepper
Method
Hard-cook and peel
Lower the centre eggs into gently boiling water for 12 minutes. Chill in ice water and peel. Pat dry.
Look for: The peeled eggs are cold and dry.
Wrap in sausage
Divide the sausage into one portion per egg. Flatten each piece into a disc on a lightly floured palm, set an egg in the middle, and cup your hand to close the meat around it. Pinch the seams and smooth the surface so the layer is even.
Look for: No egg shows through the meat.
Crumb the outside
Set out three plates: flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Roll each egg in flour, then egg, then crumbs, keeping one hand dry for the crumbs. Press gently so the coating sticks.
Look for: A dry, even crumb layer covers each egg.
Fry with temperature control
Heat oil to 170°C / 340°F. Lower in two eggs at a time and fry for about 8–10 minutes, turning carefully. Keep oil between 165–175°C / 330–350°F.
Look for: The coating turns evenly golden.
Check the sausage
Lift and drain. Probe through the side into the thickest sausage layer, not the egg; it must reach 71°C / 160°F. Return to the oil if needed. Rest 5 minutes before cutting.
Look for: The sausage layer is cooked through around the egg.
Equipment & heat
Equipment & heat
Use a thermometer on every hob. Induction heats oil rapidly, so increase power gradually without boost. Gas flames must stay beneath the pot. Electric retains heat; shift the pot to a cold ring if oil rises too fast. Never leave hot oil unattended or add water.
Nonstick: A deep heavy steel pot suits frying. Do not deep-fry in a shallow nonstick pan.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
A dark crust with raw sausage means the oil was too hot or the meat layer too thick. Shape evenly and verify the meat temperature.
About this version
About this version
This guide deliberately uses hard-cooked centres and a measured sausage-temperature check. Soft-centred versions require a different timing plan.
Unless stated otherwise, use large chicken eggs, approximately 60 g in the shell, refrigerated. Timings are starting points: use the visual checkpoints and any stated temperature check.
Sources
This guide was written from the references below. Egg Atlas has not kitchen-tested it.
- Good Food — how to make Scotch eggs
- American Egg Board — hard-cooked eggs
- BLV (Swiss FSVO) — food hygiene at home
- FoodSafety.gov — minimum internal cooking temperatures
Illustrations by Egg Atlas. They show the method; they are not photographs of a tested result.