Scotch Eggs, Made at Home

It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.

Today: Molly Yeh from my name is yeh guides us, step by step, to Scotch egg heaven. 

Until very recently, Scotch eggs were like unicorns. Even though I hadn't met a Scotch egg, I knew I was in love. Like a colorful, prancing, song-singing unicorn, there is objectively nothing not to love about a Scotch egg. Eggie, meaty, fried. Done. Get me one. Get me seven. 

So starting smack in the center of the Harrods Food Hall last summer, I began my Scotch egg tour of the universe. It took me to a perfect little pub in the perfect little countryside town of Lewes, East Sussex, where my friend Sam explained that a freshly boiled egg must be placed in an ice bath prior to its Scotching. It took me to Boston where a wonderful restaurant, Myers + Chang, blew my mind with the idea of wrapping the egg in potsticker filling. It took me to my new home in rural North Dakota where I am suddenly forced to make most of my favorite foods from scratch.  

So I pulled together the best parts about each of my favorite Scotch eggs and made one mega-awesome Scotch egg that's officially the number one reason why I need to join a gym. It has an extra-runny yolk thanks to an ice bath (ohhh, I love 'em runny), it uses the genius idea of potsticker filling as a wrapper, and it uses not just any potsticker filling, but a super-special filling that's used in my family's beloved potsticker recipe. 

Warning: Scotch eggs are messy creatures to make! Give yourself a lot of space to make them and invite a few friends over to help ('cause if they're good friends they'll help with the cleanup too). 

Scotch Eggs

Makes 4

6 large eggs
1 pound ground chicken
2 teaspoons each: Sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar
A few good grinds of black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 stalks green onions, minced
1/2 cup flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Oil for frying (I use canola)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully place four eggs in and boil for five minutes (this is for a runny yolk, if you want it firmer, add a bit of time). While they're boiling, prepare a large ice bath.

When five minutes is up, immediately place the eggs in the bath. 

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and the green onions.

In three smaller bowls, set up your breading station. In the first bowl, combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. In the second, whip up the remaining 2 eggs with a splash of water. In the third bowl, combine the panko, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, and black pepper. 

Working with wet hands, divide chicken into four equal parts. Place them on separate squares of parchment paper and flatten out into circles, about 1/2 inch thick. Peel the eggs, coat them in a little flour, and then wrap each in chicken. It helps if you fold up the parchment paper to help the chicken onto the egg. 

Once the egg is fully encased in the meat, coat it in flour, and then egg, and then panko. Place back on the parchment and hold in the fridge until the rest of the eggs are ready to go.

Fill a large pot with about 3 to 4 inches of oil and heat it to 350° F. Fry the Scotch eggs for 5 to 6 minutes, until they're golden brown and cooked through. Enjoy! 

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Molly Yeh