Scotch eggs

Normally I make buffalo wings on Super Bowl Sunday, but this year we were party-bound and the wings were covered. So I received a request for Scotch eggs. 

We've become sausage snobs since the last time I made scotch eggs because we discovered that making sausage is not that hard and they just taste a lot better than the ones from the store, which aren't bound properly, so they're much less forgiving if overcooked. They're also just less tasty. So this recipe starts with a hunk of pork shoulder. 

At any rate, we use the Serious Eats guide to make sausage and we're not going back.

This year's Super Bowl party host doesn't eat gluten, so I'm also including a gluten-free breading option. She said the coconut flour worked great (tapioca starch would be fine, too), and Matt actually preferred the potato sticks to the corn flakes, even though he was all about the corn flakes ahead of time.

Scotch Eggs

Makes 12, plus more than a pound of extra sausage

English banger sausage: 
3 lb boneless pork shoulder (should be about 20-25% fat)
kosher salt: 1-2% of the exact weight (in grams) of pork
8-10 cloves garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (grated)
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried summer savory
3 teaspoons dried sage

Scotch eggs:

About half the sausage from the recipe above

12 eggs to boil, plus three for breading

Potato sticks (certified gluten-free if you need) or corn flakes

Flour (coconut flour if you need gluten-free)

Oil to deep fry. 

1. Make sausage

Cut the pork shoulder into about 5-cm chunks. Weigh (use metric), then weigh out 1-2% of the pork weight in salt. I normally round down from the 2% weight. Mix salt into pork so that it's all coated, then cover and wait at least eight hours. This makes science do things to the meat proteins so your sausage will bind better. 

After at least eight hours, pop the sausage in the freezer so that the meat becomes partially frozen. This helps it grind. Chill your grinder while you're at it. 

When meat is cold, mix in all remaining seasoning and grind coarsely. I use my KitchenAid attachment to grind and grind it right into the mixer bowl. 

When meat and seasonings are ground, remove grinder attachment and add paddle attachment. Beat the meat mixture with the paddle attachment, redistributing once, until it binds together like a dough instead of crumbling apart like ground meat. This means it's sausage now. 

2. Eggs

Bring a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Use a push pin to put a hole through the bottom of 12 eggs. Working four at a time, lower the eggs gently into the boiling water and cook for seven minutes, then transfer to ice water. When all eggs are boiled and as soon as they're cool enough, peel them. Putting the pushpin hole will make this easier, which is good because the yolks will be medium cooked so they're a little more delicate.

3. Assembly

Using wet hands so the sausage won't stick, grab about a 3 tbsp ball of sausage meat and flatten in your hand. Put a peeled egg in the middle and then gently work the sausage until it totally coats the egg, then sort of continue smooshing it around until no more little spots open up to expose the egg. If you rush this part, when the sausage cooks and it shrinks a bit it won't keep the egg totally covered.

Once all eggs are coated in sausage, reserve extra sausage for another use. You can stuff into casings for links. It also makes great biscuit gravy.  

Heat oil in a deep frier to 350F. 

Buzz corn flakes or potato sticks in a food processor until they're crumbs. Season crumbs with salt and pepper. 

Beat three eggs together in a bowl. 

Spread flour on a plate and crumbs on another plate. 

Roll each egg in flour, then coat with beaten egg, then roll in crumb mixture to coat. 

4. Fry

In batches (so the oil stays hot) fry eggs for five minutes, until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels. 

You can cut these into quarters to serve hot or let them cool and serve cold or at room temperature. They're good on their own or with some nice mustard!