Scotch Eggs - A Homemade Recipe with Gluten Free Breadcrumbs (2024)

These homemade Scotch Eggs are easy to make. Perfect for picnics, lunch boxes, as a snack or main meal. THIS is Scotch Egg nirvana! (with gluten free breadcrumbs)

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Gluten Free Scotch Eggs and Goose Egg Scotch Eggs

My recipe for Scotch Eggs with Gluten Free Breadcrumbs has been on the blog a long time. But in the spirit of making sure we gluten-avoiders never miss out on good food, it’s been updated to make it extra-helpful… In addition to a basic recipe for traditional Scotch Eggs, the post now includes lots of advice on the what and the how of making them. And… as well as a recipe for standard Scotch Eggs made with hen eggs, offers a (slightly unconventional) recipe for enormous Scotch Eggs made with Goose Eggs.

If you aren’t a gluten avoider, but are just looking for a great Scotch Egg recipe, then you’re still in the right place. Scotch Egg recipes are basically all the same… It’s just that if you can eat gluten, you’ll be able to use any old sausage meat and any breadcrumbs.

What are Scotch Eggs?

A Scotch Egg is a savoury dish which consists of a de-shelled hard-boiled egg (with either firm or soft yolk), wrapped with sausage meat and coated in breadcrumbs, before being fried (or sometimes baked) until the coating is crisp.

Whether eaten as a tasty snack at the pub, or served as a main meal with salad, potatoes and veg, they have rightly gained their place as icons on the British menu. And being a creation that can be eaten held in hand, they are perfect for the lunch-box, parties and as delicious sustenance for a gluten free picnic.

But let’s be clear… Those strange acidic snacks that you find in the supermarket (known as savoury mini or picnic eggs) are NOTHING like the real deal. Made with some oddly-seasoned mashed egg concoction, they are (in my humble opinion) quite revolting. And being gluten free, I am grateful that I will never have the option of eating one ever again!

The much-debated history of the humble Scotch Egg

At Gluten Free Alchemist, we love a bit of food history. So, I trawled the internet to discover the story behind the humble Scotch Egg. Or should I say stories? Clearly, the Scotch Egg has a past which has been much debated in foodie circles… But wherever they originated, one thing is certain… they are NOT from Scotland!

The earliest known printed recipe for a scotch egg is found in the 1809 edition of the cook book “A New System of Domestic Cookery” (Maria Rundell). However, it seems there are at least 4 competing stories over where they actually came from…

Competing stories…

First… The claim that they originated in London and were created by the luxury department store Fortnum & Mason back in 1738… made for wealthy carriage travellers.

Next, comes the claim that they evolved from the North Indian dish nargisi kofta (an egg covered in spiced lamb mincemeat, served with curry). The story goes that these were brought back to England by either returning soldiers or exported by the British Raj and then (presumably) de-spiced for the early English palate.

Similarly, there is a suggestion that they may have started life in North Africa… An early variation being brought to Elizabethan England, and injected with cloves and spices to improve their flavour.

The story that is possibly the one I most like to believe however, is that Scotch Eggs originated in Whitby, Yorkshire. Produced by a company called Willian J Scott and Sons, it is said that they quickly came to be known as ‘Scotties’… Which in time evolved to ‘Scotch Eggs’. It is thought however that the early eggs may have been coated in a fish paste before covering in breadcrumbs (a variation which can still be found on some parts of the Yorkshire coast)… The switch to sausage meat allegedly came as their popularity grew and with the need to make them more robust for packing.

More recent ‘eggy’ controversy

More recently, Scotch Eggs have made a bit of a come-back. Perhaps surprisingly, they have also found themselves centre-stage in a controversy surrounding 2020 Covid tiers and what might be considered a ‘substantial meal’ served in a pub alongside alcohol. Is a Scotch Egg a substantial meal? The answer… according to the British government, is yes. And I agree!

What ingredients do you need to make the best Scotch Eggs?

So… What do you need to make the best Scotch Eggs at home? Basically just 3 key ingredients…

• Eggs
• Sausage meat
• Breadcrumbs

Hen Eggs, Goose Eggs or… The choice is yours

Scotch Eggs can be made with any type of egg… From standard hen eggs and slightly larger duck eggs, through to super-large goose eggs and even tiny little quail eggs. The only difference will be how long you cook them for… And how much sausage meat and bread crumbs you use. But whatever your choice of egg, make sure the ones you use are fresh and preferably free-range. They are honestly so much richer and tastier.

This post includes a recipe for Scotch Eggs made with UK large hen eggs (with each egg serving one person). And also, a sharing-recipe using mahoosive Goose Eggs.

If you have never tried a goose egg, they are simply amazing things. The yolks are rich and thick and creamy… and absolutely huge. But with geese only laying between late February and about June (in the UK), the season is short. We always grab them while we can and make the most of their availability. They can be used in the same way as hen eggs… to make something truly ‘egg’, like a yummy goose egg Frittata or a delicious goose egg salad. Or simply for baking (check out these amazing Coffee Brownies made with a single goose egg).

For Scotch Eggs, remember that each goose egg is the equivalent size of 3 to 4 chicken eggs, which means one Scotch Goose Egg will serve 3 to 4 people!

Soft or firm yolk?

One of the best things about homemade Scotch Eggs is that you not only get to choose whether you eat them hot or cold, but also whether the yolk is super-firm or runny (or somewhere in-between). For a UK large hen egg, the boiling time should be somewhere between 5 to 8 minutes. I always aim for the lower end as this gives perfect gooeyness.

And a goose egg? About 13 to 16 minutes for an egg of average size.

As soon as the eggs have been boiled for the required time, remove from the pan and plunge immediately into a bowl of cold water to stop any further cooking. This should help the yolk remain just how you want it.

The sausage meat

It goes without saying that if you are Coeliac or need to be gluten free for health reasons, then make sure your sausage meat is certified gluten free. Most supermarkets now offer a ready-seasoned gluten free option (often in the ‘special/finest/taste the difference’-type ranges). And yes, this may mean it is slightly more expensive, but the quality will without a doubt be better… Not least because the meat content is higher.

Alternatively, check your local butcher, who will often have a stock of sausage meat which has been minced when the machines are clean and then batch-frozen. If using plain sausage meat, remember to season it at home, before coating the eggs. Salt, pepper and a few dried herbs are all that’s needed.

Failing that, just grab some gluten free sausages (which are easily sourced) and whip off the skins!

Breadcrumbs for Gluten Free Scotch Eggs

Shop-bought

When making gluten free Scotch Eggs, make sure you also use gluten free breadcrumbs. Again, a few supermarkets now stock their own brand of ‘free from’ breadcrumbs. Or they stock familiar gluten free brands such as Orgran, Mrs Crimbles and Clearspring. I often use Esgir Crunchy Crumbs (which I first discovered many years ago at the Allergy & Free From Show and now buy on-line), because they have a super-crunchy texture, the colour of bread-crumbs from my childhood and they work perfectly every time.

How to make gluten free breadcrumbs

Alternatively, making gluten free breadcrumbs at home is actually super-easy. And it’s a great way to ‘salvage’ stale bread. Actually, it’s one of the rare uses I have for commercial gluten free bread… which is often so crumbly and ‘ricey’. Simply dry off slices either in the air or a very low-set oven, before grinding (using a food processor or blender) into fabulous fresh bread-crumbs. Bag them up in the freezer, or store in an airtight container in the fridge and you’ll have bread crumbs ready to make anything from Potato Croquettes to Scotch Eggs to Stuffed Cashew Nut Roast… Or, to add crunch to the top of Mac and Cheese and cauliflower cheese.

Click this link for full instructions and recipe card to make fresh and dried gluten free bread crumbs. Or why not add extra crunch with some homemade Gluten Free PANKO Breadcrumbs.

Don’t skip the drying-out phase though… If you want a crunchy coating, it makes all the difference.

Ready to make my Gluten Free Scotch Eggs recipe?

If you’re ready for gluten free Scotch Egg nirvana, then here’s the recipe… Actually, I’ve given you 2 separate recipes, dependent in whether using hens or monster goose eggs.

Let me know how you get on… And don’t forget to share your photos of how they turned out. You’ll find me onFacebook,Instagram,PinterestandTwitter. Or… leave a comment and rate the recipe.

Thanks as always for visiting Gluten Free Alchemist. For our online recipe book with loads of inspiration (which is totally FREE and has over 400 recipes), click here… On-line Recipe Book Index.

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