Masala Scotch Eggs

I have always been fascinated by Scotch eggs.  I think they bring a little "wow" factor to any table.  Scotch eggs are traditionally made with sausage meat wrapped around a hard boiled egg then breaded and deep fried.  I wanted to shake up this UK savory treat with some Indian spices and do my own take on it.  I decided instead of using a raw sausage meat, I would make a savory ground chicken and potato filling to wrap around the egg then bread it and deep fry it.  I loved how these came out and they go perfectly with a rice and curry meal.  They also go well with a salad, bread, naan, etc...  I think these beautiful eggs dress up any Asian or European table.  If you are little worried about the size of the larger scotch eggs, I did make make a smaller version of this fun dish.  I think the smaller version is actually a little more manageable to make and serve, although it doesn't have the show-stopper look as the whole egg version when you cut them. Of course, both are equally tasty and fun and you will love to see them once they sit prettily on your table. 

Ingredients:
4-6 hard boiled eggs
1lb of your favorite lean ground meat (I used ground chicken)
1-2 cups of finely mashed potatoes
1/2 medium onion chopped finely
2  green chilies chopped finely (seeded)
1 Tbs of minced curry leaves
1/2 Tbs of minced fresh mint leaves
1 tsp of Garam Masala Powder
1Tbs ginger/garlic paste
red chili flakes to taste
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds ground by hand
salt to taste and a lot of black pepper
1-2 tsp of fresh lime juice
1 egg for coating
2-3 Tbs of all purpose flour
1 Tbs of oil
favorite style bread crumbs for coating (I used Panko and cornflakes)
oil for deep frying
 
 Directions:

Take your cumin seeds and grind it into a coarse grind.  I like using a mortar and pestle for this step.

 Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add 1Tbs of oil and bloom your cumin seeds for a few seconds (careful not to burn)

 Then add your ginger/garlic paste, onions, green chilies, mint and curry leaves.

 Once the onions begin to soften, add your garam masala powder, red chili flakes, salt and pepper.  Lower the heat to medium-low and allow all the ingredients to cook down for a few minutes.

 Add your ground meat and brown well.  Taste for salt and seasoning. 

Add your finely mashed potatoes  (instant works well here).  Mix well.

Add the lime juice and taste for seasoning.  Allow meat mixture to cool down completely. 

 

 Peel your eggs well and lightly coat with some flour.  The flour helps the meat mixture stick better to the egg.  Take the meat mixture and completely coat the outside of the egg well.




Then dip in some beaten egg.

 Coat the outside of the scotch egg with bread crumbs.  I actually used a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and some ground plain cornflakes for extra crunch. Plain bread crumbs work very well too.

Note:  The larger ball is the traditional scotch egg shape with a full egg inside.  The smaller egg is half an egg with some meat filling piled up on top to make a faux side to the egg. Both are dipped in egg wash and breaded.

 Deep fry in canola or peanut oil (heated to 350 degrees) until golden brown.

Careful when deep frying these eggs (especially the larger ones)  Use a frying spoon to lower them into the oil to avoid splashing.

Drain on a paper towel before serving.  Again, the larger eggs you see are the traditional scotch egg shaped eggs (they turn out the size of a small orange).  The smaller half eggs are the half egg/half meat mixture eggs ( they are still the size of an egg).  I love both varieties. 



 

 

You can yield about 6 large eggs or about 12 smaller eggs. Make sure you cut the larger scotch eggs in half or quarters before serving so the guests can see the inside because that's the "wow" factor to the dish. Enjoy.  




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