Scotch eggs. Scotchy, scotch, scotch.

I'm still coming down from birthday high.  As you may have guessed by the hat I am still wearing.  Still.

Anywho.

It's a tradition in our household to cook a special breakfast on birthdays.  And this year was no exception.

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to find Stuart in the kitchen fixin' something mighty tasty.  A few years ago, in Bellingham, we ran across this recipe at a local restaurant and had yet to attempt it on our own kitchen.  Until my birthday, that is.  And oh.  OH.  OHHHH.  Am I ever glad he decided to give it a try.

Now be open minded to this recipe, as my measurements are not completely accurate or precise.  Stuart had to just feel it out as he went - but the results were divine.

Divine I tell you.

 

Scotch Eggs
*As a disclaimer: This is not a health food.  These are to be eaten on your birthday when calories do not count.  Do not hold this rich and decadent breakfast against me.

You will need:
 - 6 eggs (the best quality ones you can find, as always!)
 - 1 pound natural sausage, your favorite variety (make sure there are no funky additives!)
 - 2 more eggs (for the batter)
 - 1 cup bread crumbs (watch those added ingredients!)
 - 1 teaspoon salt
 - 1/3 cup oil

Step One:  Hard boil your eggs.  Place the eggs in a saucepan, covering them with water.  Then, bring the water to a boil and simmer the eggs for ten minutes.  Let them cool.  To make things easier in the morning, you could even complete this step the night before!

Step Two:  While the eggs are cooling, cut the pound of sausage into even chunks. Then, using your hands, begin to shape each chunk like a little bowl.  Nothing too exact, just somewhere in the realm of bowl-esk.

Step Three:  Put your sausage "bowls" in the refrigerator.  This will make them easier to handle.  So right now, you will have six hard boiled eggs and six sausage bowls chillin' in the refrigerator - right?  Right.

Step Four:  One your eggs are completely cooled, peel them.  Then, you will be left with six wonderfully peeled, cooked eggs.

Step Five:  Remove the sausage from the fridge.  Then, place a peeled egg into each sausage bowl.  Gently use your hands to form the sausage completely around the egg - covering the entire thing.  It's a sausage ball.  With an egg inside.  Get it?!

Step Six:  In a separate bowl, beat your last two eggs with the salt until they are frothy.  In another separate bowl, place your breadcrumbs.  Then, gently, dip each sausage-covered egg into the egg mixture.  Then, roll it around (gently!) in the breadcrumbs.  Now you have a sausage ball - with an egg inside - dipped in whipped eggs - and then rolled in breadcrumbs.  You still with me here?  Good!

Step Seven:  Heat your oil up in a pan (cast iron works best!)  Once the oil is warm, add your scotch eggs to the pan.  Don't crowd the pan!  Even if you have to do a couple batches, it's important that each egg has room to breath.  As the scotch eggs cook, gently roll them around to cook the sausage on all sides.  Once cooked, remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to soak up any extra grease.

Not that there will be any extra grease.  I mean, it's only fried sausage.  It's practically a health food.

Step Eight:  Eat.  Enjoy.  Savor.  Because you ain't gunna be able to eat a breakfast this enjoyable very often.

Stuart served our scotch eggs on a bed of sweet potato hashbrowns, which were the perfect sweet combination to the salty and smoky sausage.  I would highly HIGHLY recommend this. 

Plus, what the heck, throw in a Southern-style buttermilk biscuit too.  Because there aren't quite enough calories in this meal yet.  And serve it with butter and honey.  Because that's the way I roll with my biscuits.

This is truly an enjoyable, fun, and decadent breakfast.   

So decadent, in fact, that for the rest of the day, I didn't consume anything else.

...

Okay, fine, that's a lie.

But if you have a special occasion coming up, please make these.  Make them.  Do it.  DO IT, I SAY. 

Just trust me.  You will love 'em.

As will your waist.

The end!

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

Scotch Eggs

• 6 eggs ((the best quality ones you can find, as always!))
• 1 pound natural sausage, your favorite variety ((make sure there are no funky additives!))
• 2 more eggs (for the batter)
• 1 cup bread crumbs (watch those added ingredients!)
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅓ cup oil

1. Hard boil your eggs.  Place the eggs in a saucepan, covering them with water.  Then, bring the water to a boil and simmer the eggs for ten minutes.  Let them cool.  To make things easier in the morning, you could even complete this step the night before!

2. While the eggs are cooling, cut the pound of sausage into even chunks. Then, using your hands, begin to shape each chunk like a little bowl.  Nothing too exact, just somewhere in the realm of bowl-esk.

3. Put your sausage “bowls” in the refrigerator.  This will make them easier to handle.  So right now, you will have six hard boiled eggs and six sausage bowls chillin' in the refrigerator – right?  Right.

4. One your eggs are completely cooled, peel them.  Then, you will be left with six wonderfully peeled, cooked eggs.

5. Remove the sausage from the fridge.  Then, place a peeled egg into each sausage bowl.  Gentlyuse your hands to form the sausage completely around the egg – covering the entire thing.  It's a sausage ball.  With an egg inside.  Get it?!

6. In a separate bowl, beat your last two eggs with the salt until they are frothy.  In another separate bowl, place your breadcrumbs.  Then, gently, dip each sausage-covered egg into the egg mixture.  Then, roll it around (gently!) in the breadcrumbs.  Now you have a sausage ball – with an egg inside – dipped in whipped eggs – and then rolled in breadcrumbs.  You still with me here?  Good!

7. Heat your oil up in a pan (cast iron works best!)  Once the oil is warm, add your scotch eggs to the pan.  Don't crowd the pan!  Even if you have to do a couple batches, it's important that each egg has room to breath.  As the scotch eggs cook, gently roll them around to cook the sausage on all sides.  Once cooked, remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to soak up any extra grease.

   Not that there will be any extra grease.  I mean, it's only fried sausage.  It's practically a health food.

8. Eat.  Enjoy.  Savor.  Because you ain't gunna be able to eat a breakfast this enjoyable very often.