A Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg (with its shell removed) wrapped in a sausage meat mixture, coated in breadcrumbs or rolled oats, and deep-fried. Scotch eggs are commonly eaten cold, typically with salad.
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The London department store Fortnum & Mason claims to have invented Scotch eggs in 1738,[1][2] but they may have been inspired by the Moghul dish nargisi kofta ("Narcissus meatballs").[3]
The earliest printed recipe is the 1809 edition of Mrs. Rundell's A New System of Domestic Cookery. Mrs. Rundell - and later 19th-century authors - served them hot, with gravy.[4]
Scotch eggs are usually a picnic food and home-made. In the UK, pre-packed, plastic-wrapped Scotch eggs are commonly available in supermarkets, convenience stores and motorway service stations.
Miniature versions of Scotch eggs are also widely available in British supermarkets, and are sold under the name 'savoury eggs', 'picnic eggs', 'party eggs', 'snack eggs' or similar. These contain chopped egg or a quail's egg, rather than a whole chicken egg, and sometimes contain mayonnaise or chopped bacon.
In the United States, many "British-style" pubs and eateries serve fresh-made Scotch eggs. These are usually served hot, with dipping sauces such as ranch dressing, hot sauce, or hot mustard sauce. At the Minnesota State Fair, true to fair tradition, Scotch eggs are served on a stick.[5]
In West Africa, some fast-food restaurants offer Scotch eggs alongside their other menu items. In Nigeria, Tantalizers and Mr. Biggs both prominently feature Scotch eggs.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, Scotch eggs may also be called vogelnestje 'little bird's nest' because they contain an egg.
Several local variations exist, such as the "Manchester egg" which uses a pickled egg wrapped in a mixture of pork meat and Lancashire black pudding,[6] and the Worcester Egg, where the egg is first pickled in Worcestershire Sauce and then clad in a mixture of local sausagemeat and white pudding.
In the Netherlands a similar snack item called an eierbal is served hot at greasy spoon ("snackbar") type establishments, mostly in the Northern and Eastern Netherlands.