Scotch Eggs, a.k.a., Protein Pellets
I’m super into British mystery books – Dick Francis, Elizabeth George, but not Agatha C… sorry! – and TV shows like Midsomer Murders and the Inspector Lynley Mysteries. I love the accents, the Queen’s English, the tweed and Wellies, the reliance on hot tea as a cure-all, and the moody weather.
The food? Meh.
But I’ve always been curious about Scotch eggs, and last week, I made a batch. Blimey! They’re brilliant!
First, a definition and some history. In case you’ve never had the pleasure, a Scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep fried. They’re often eaten cold – perhaps in a picnic out on the moors or the heath – and were invented by the legendary London department store Fortnum & Mason (founded in 1707 and well-known for the gourmet picnic baskets it sold to Victorian high society for hoity-toity events like the Henley Regatta and Ascot Races).
In England, pre-packaged Scotch eggs are standard in roadside service stations, kinda like beef jerky here in the U.S. In India, they eat a curried version called nargisi kofta, and at the Minnesota State Fair, Scotch eggs are served on a stick. Of course. (Thank you, Wikipedia, for those delicious bites of trivia.)
Here in my Austin kitchen, I wanted to make a dino-chow version, which meant the breadcrumbs were O-U-T. Here’s what I did.
Scotch Eggs
Makes 5 servings
(I know that’s a weird number, but I wanted to add about 3 oz. of meat to the egg to make it a complete meal-size serving of protein.)
Ingredients
1 lb. ground pork
1 tablespoon Penzeys Italian Sausage Seasoning*
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled**
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix the ground pork and sausage seasoning until well-combined.
3. Divide the pork mixture into 5 equal servings. Flatten the pork into an even pancake shape, and wrap around a hard-boiled egg, sealing it all the way around and making sure the meat is evenly distributed. This is WAY easier than its sounds. Just roll and lovingly pat it into place.
4. Place the wrapped eggs on a baking sheet and bake about 20-25 minutes, or until the outsides are nicely browned and starting to crisp.
These are great with sauteed veggies on the side or a nice tossed salad – also awesome cold with some berries on the side for a quick breakfast.
Like a geode, the Scotch eggs look slightly unassuming on the inside…
… with a surprise on the inside. (Thank you to my hand model Anna for the assist.)
* The Penzeys Italian Sausage Seasoning is like magic. It transforms regular ol’ ground meat into healthy, no-crap-added sausage. You could also replace the Italian Sausage Seasoning with curry powder or other spice blends, like ras el hanout, thyme+sage, chili powder+cumin, or ginger+garlic+Chinese five spice powder. (If you make the Asian version with the Chinese five spice powder, it would probably be YUMMY x 10 if you sliced the hot egg and put it in a bowl with some chicken broth, fresh ginger, and slivers of bok choy and chopped scallions.)
** Believe it or not, technique can matter with hard-boiled eggs. Here’s how I make them, courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated. This recipe ensures creamy yolks and easier peeling. Place eggs in a pan and cover with cold water. Cook over high heat until the water boils, then cover, turn off the heat, and let the eggs site in the hot bath for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, drain off the hot water and tap each egg on the counter to crack the shell. Cover the eggs with cold water for 5 minutes, then drain again and place in the fridge ’til cooled. If you use very fresh eggs, they can be almost impossible to peel, so this is a good way to use up eggs that have been in the fridge for a while.
UPDATE (07.18.10):
I tried one of my reader’s suggestions and rolled the meatball in crushed pork rinds before baking. They were delicious – but also problematic because I can’t control myself when pork rinds are in the house. I definitely overeat those salty, crispy little buggers. If you don’t have that problem, you might want to try the addition of the pork rinds. They do a great job of mimicking the bread crumbs that I banished from my recipe. (You should also know that Melissa and Dallas of Whole9 Life do not endorse this version of the recipe, but the basic recipe above is totally A-OK.)
Just crush a handful of pork rinds in a plastic bag.
Roll the meat-covered egg in the crumbs.
Bake and eat!
I’m excited to once again join the punk rock foodies on Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.
Tags: British, dino-chow, paleo
46 Responses to “Scotch Eggs, a.k.a., Protein Pellets”
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this dinner looks way better than whatever half-assed post-WOD takeout i'm about to get the corporate overlords to purchase for me.
i am a little disturbed by the fact that my newish ghetto nails, which i've had for less than a year and have rocked my ass since day one, are not crossfit friendly. beauty vs xfit…. a dilemma.
There is no such thing as beauty vs xfit… beauty IS xfit
Heavy lifting is WAY hotter than nails.
the nails agree with you, so their days are numbered.
Good on you, Michele!
I am in awe of your culinary creativity. I LOVE Scotch eggs. Most of the summer I turned 21 was spent living with my family on a sailboat on the southern coast of England. Scotch eggs were a major part of that experience, and I have longed to recreate that special, tasty treat. Can't wait to try this!
Let me know how you like them. I'm very curious about the breaded-and-fried variety, but I guess I'll have to get myself back to the UK if I'm going to indulge in an authentic one!
Those sound so awesome. I think those will be on the menu next trip to the grocery store!
These sounds awesome – I bet they would make a delicious breakfast. Thanks for the recipe. I've been looking for an excuse to do a penzeys order (no locations here, unfortunately)
Looks like lunch! Yours is perhaps the *easiest* Scotch egg recipe I've ever seen.
Thanks for sharing!
~KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)
Hi, Kristen! I made this again the other day. They are really tasty and wicked easy.
Scotch eggs are fantastic. For an awesome grain-free zero-carb alternative, replace the bread crumb coating with crushed pork rinds!
I love that idea! Thanks for the suggestion. Can't wait to try it!
Love, love, love scotch eggs! They make great tourney (SCA) food!
Made these last night. They were great warm, and just as wonderful cold for this morning's breakfast. I mixed in a little leftover natural pork sausage with the ground pork, which added a little extra fat/salt zing. Also had to bump up the temperature on my oven to get them nice and brown. So happy!
Cheryl! I'm so glad you tried 'em and like 'em. I made a batch this weekend with ground beef instead of pork. They're only OK. Pork is definitely the way to go.
I LOVE scotch eggs. My friends go through the effort of deep frying them. They magically come out with custardy yolks that aren't runny but still gooey enough to spread the taste around. I need to try this recipe and see if I can recreate the magic. Thanks!
I love Scotch Eggs! Went to our local Penzkey's today and found that the Italian Sausage seasoning had sugar, so I picked up the Greek. They're cooking as I type…thanks for this!
Jay –> Hope you like them! Yeah, it was a bummer to learn the sausage seasoning includes sugar. I'm working on a homemade sausage blend that I'll share as soon as I'm happy with it. Be sure to let us know how the Greek tastes with the eggs.
Made these last night for the week's breakfasts. Had my first one this morning. Very tasty! Started thinking about "breading" and I think I might roll them in almond meal next time.
Almond meal should work — and I saw a recipe the other day that recommended rolling them in coconut, although I'm not sure how I'd like the sweetness. Crushed pork rinds also work really, really, REALLY great.
[...] (other than plain old boiled eggs and tins of tuna!) to grab on the run, so I stole the concept of “Protein Pellets” (scotch eggs) from my fave blogger, [...]
[...] Scotch Eggs [...]
Love Scotch eggs, so imagine my disappointment when I discovered an egg allergy! All is not lost though – I wrap my ground meat around a big ol’ brussels sprout! Not the same, but quite delicious nonetheless.
That’s a great idea! You now what else might work nicely? A ball of mashed cauliflower — it would be tender and creamy… *almost* egg-like, maybe. I’m TOTALLY trying that next time I make a batch.
These are now in the oven
made mine using large eggs so they came out Dino sized. Lol!
[...] [...]
thanks so much for this inspiration and sharing your ideas on how to make a paleo scotch egg. I love scotch eggs and didn’t coat have any pork rinds on hand (what a great idea!) so I made it with an almond meal coating. worked pretty well too
[...] I’ve been stoked to make my own version of Paleo Scotch Eggs. [...]
what a great idea! (plus husband has a special affinity for “food in a food”.) however, we are kosher, so no piggies for me. can you recommend a recipe amended for a different meat?
Yes! You can use beef or ground turkey instead.
[...] Paleo. She had a post with them which sent me to another blog, The Clothes Make the Girl. Melissa has a recipe for these gems in her new cookbook, Well Fed, and I wanted to try them. Basically, they’re [...]
[...] Here’s how I made mine, inspired by Melicious: [...]
Do you have a preferred brand of pork rinds for this recipe?
I don’t, actually. I just look at the ingredients and make sure they’re only pork and salt — no added oils.
[...] your “go to” meal! We make The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat Ever (actual name) and Scotch Eggs about once a week, so I think it’s safe to call them our “go to” recipes. How [...]
Just have to tell you that Scotch Eggs are helping with my Whole30. I was able to find a chicken sausage log (not sure what else to call it) that meets all the criteria. It’s only my first week but they’ve made a great quick grab & go breakfast along with some avocado & whatever veggies are left from night before. Also great cut up in my salads for lunch. Thank you so much for the recipe!
YAY! Great to know they’re making your Whole30 easier and tastier! Hope the rest of your 30 days go super smoothly!
[...] a good cut of meat! Worth the $16 we paid for it on Sunday. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to make Scottish Eggs (yes I know their called Scotch eggs, but I'm Scottish and we would nae call 'em that! They're [...]
[...] Scotch Eggs = Super Awesome Party Balls!! [...]
These are my new favorite thing. Very tasty cold too. Dollop with a mix of WF mayo & spicy mustard. Dee-lish. I coated them w/ the pork rinds. In the past I’ve used pork rinds to coat chicken.
[...] http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/05/17/scotch-eggs-a-k-a-protein-pellets/ [...]
[...] chicken thighs, browned two pounds of garlic ground beef, roasted a spaghetti squash and made 8 Scotch Eggs. Scotch eggs are crazy! The recipe for the eggs in the cookbook is slightly different than the one [...]
These are fantastic, and so easy. I plan to prep them to right-before-baking the night before and serve them for breakfast when we’re on vacation.
That’s a great idea! Love it.
Hi Mel,
We made these yesterday, using your book. SOO GOOD!! Thanks!!
I made the Bora Bora Fireballs on Tues and they were AWESOME! I’ve just made the Scotch eggs again but used beef & mexi spices. They’re cooling while the Cottage Pie is in the oven. I’ve just been hit with a thought……what about Bora Bora Fireball Scotch eggs?
Glad you liked the Fireballs — and yeah, those Mexican scotch eggs are yummo, too! If you try the Fireball scotch eggs let me know what you think; I’m curious if the pineapple and coconut would taste good with the egg. I’m kind of skeptical — but give it a go!
[...] the original recipe, but Melissa ‘upgraded’ it for her cookbook. That’s the recipe I used. Check it [...]
[...] Here’s something I made that I ripped out of Well Fed: [...]
[...] version of this Shepherd’s Pie recipe and served it along side some of Mel’s delicious Paleo Scotch Eggs. AMAZING, all of it, but I totally should have made a salad. What did you think of the Opening [...]
just have to tell you that i made these (subbed ginger, sea salt, and chinese 5 spice for the italian seasoning) and i am IN LOVE. seriously one of my new favorite foods! can’t wait to experiment with different spices, and to try out more of your recipes
YAY! Glad you liked them. Do you have Well Fed? There’s a ton of variations in the cookbook, including a 5-spice version. They’re so versatile. Glad you’re having fun with the recipe!
[...] Eggs from The Clothes Make The Girl. My sweet potato looks so mangled because I took the skin off. It’s harder to digest. I have [...]
[...] Scotch Eggs [...]
I love Scotch Eggs, and I want to make some during our Whole30 experience, but I think, based on what I saw when I visited last weekend, the Italian Sausage Seasoning (along with the Breakfast Sausage Seasoning) blend has SUGAR in it.
Boo. Hiss. I wanted to season some sausage last weekend, so ended up getting their Pizza Seasoning, which is also advertised as being good with sausage, but is sugar free. I might have mis-read, but thought I’d mention as an FYI…
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news: both Penzeys Sausage Seasoning and Pizza Seasoning contain trace amounts of sugar, so if you’re doing a strict Whole30, both of those seasonings are out. I included a sugar-free recipe for both Sausage and Pizza seasoning in Well Fed for just that reason!
You can make your own seasoning pretty easily. Just mix together some garlic and dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary — or grab a copy of Well Fed for the full recipe
[...] the Scotch Eggs, I follow the recipe and directions for Protein Pellets from The Girl Makes the Clothes. I’ll switch up the ground meat/seasoning . . . but my favorite version is using the ground [...]
I made Scotch Eggs for the first time today and we loved them. They are extremely filling! I didn’t have any pork rinds, so I improvised and think I found a pretty delicious substitution. I cooked a few slices of bacon in the oven until very crispy, then I pulsed them in the food processor with a little almond flour. That made a really awesome breadcrumb-like coating, and it was pretty delicious to have egg, sausage and bacon all in one bite!
[...] love Scotch eggs and make the paleo version from The Clothes Make the Girl a lot. Most of the time, I just use a pound of the yummy pork sausage from Hunter Cattle so [...]
[...] of the 2012 Olympic Games (GEEK OUT!) with traditional British pub food. We cooked up some Scotch Eggs and some Shepherd’s Pie and cheered on Team USA this [...]
[...] Breakfast – left over snags, bacon, avocado and spinach leaves Lunch – Eliza and I made Scotched Eggs, once again from my bible – Well Fed to take to Kirsty and Kynan who were up at the hospital [...]
[...] pictured, but something to get super excited about: Scotch Eggs from The Clothes Make the Girl (double batch). Hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage = delicious, [...]
Why are the pork rind dusted variety not approved by whole30?
[...] could make up a bunch of Scotch eggs on Sunday night to last you the whole week. Reply With [...]
[...] Easter Eggs: Have a bunch of hardboiled eggs left over from an Easter celebration? This week’s meal plan incorporates them into a tasty egg salad. But, if that’s not your thing, try spicing up your deviled eggs with this Smoked, Deviled Eggs recipe from Health-Bent, or whip up another batch of Scotch Eggs. [...]
I’m baking my first batch of scotch eggs now!
The meat sort of shrank away and fell off the eggs while in the oven. Did I do something wrong?
You didn’t do anything wrong – this happens to me sometimes, too. The amount of fat in the pork can make it “shrink” when it cooks because the fat cooks out. Next time, you might want to increase the amount of pork you put around the egg to compensate. There’s no way to really specify the fat content in pork because they don’t sell it in 80% lean, etc. like ground beef.
Hope they still tasted great!
Thank you! I thought I’d skipped a step. They came out great – I used beef (but lean), with cumin and pepper. They taste great – they just don’t look all pretty like yours in the pictures.
Love, love, love these. I make a batch at least once a month for easy week of lunches.