UNA TAPA ESCOCESA: "SCOTCH EGGS"

EN UNA REUNIÓN DE SAN JUAN BILINGÜE, PUDIMOS PROBARLOS PORQUE UN AMIGO NUESTRO INGLÉS LOS HIZO Y LOS TRAJO (THANKS, TREVOR). ESTÁN ESTUPENDOS Y LOS RECOMENDAMOS PARA REALIZARLA EN NUESTROS BARES.  

Ingredients (for 4):

1 lb. sausage meat

4 hard-boiled eggs

Plain flour

1 egg (beaten)

Breadcrumbs

Deep fryer

The recipe I followed called for only ½ lb. sausage meat, but I found it easier to shape the eggs with double the amount. If you can’t find sausage meat, get sausages (British pork sausages), and peel the skins off as they start to defrost. All ingredients are available at places like Carrefour (from where I bought everything yesterday, to make the scotch eggs today.)

To boil the eggs, place them in a pan with cold water, and bring it to the boil. Allow ten minutes once the water starts boiling. Once boiled let them go cold before working with them.

If you like a more herby taste, you can get breadcrumbs with parsley and garlic already mixed in.

Divide the sausage meat into four equal portions (or use the meat from 2 sausages for each egg) and shape each into a flat round (do this in your hands, with your fingers). Dust each shelled egg lightly with flour and wrap it into the sausage meat, pressing the edges together, and shaping it in your hands. Coat with beaten egg before rolling in the breadcrumbs.

Cook the eggs in very hot oil until golden brown (about 10 minutes.) Drain and leave to cool.

Scotch eggs make a quick light supper, or a packed lunch, and were once available in nearly every pub in England. I fondly remember my time working at the Rutherford Laboratory, when many were the days my lunch consisted of a scotch egg, a bread roll, and a half pint of ale at the local pub, together with the best ingredient of all: the company of my friends.