This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As a Walmart and King Arthur Baking affiliate, and an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Spicy Scotch Eggs with Mustard is the perfect appetizer to serve for a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. Delicious boiled eggs encased in a spicy sausage, then deep fried and served with a sweet and savory beer mustard sauce.
I have known about this dish for some time, but it was only a few years ago that I ate my first Scotch Egg. It was in an Irish pub in Weston, MO called O’Malley’s, and it did not disappoint. In fact, my husband and I enjoyed them so much, I decided to recreate them for this blog (along with Irish Egg Rolls–watch for that recipe later.)
History of Scotch Eggs
First off, a bit of history. Scotch Eggs did not originate in Scotland or Ireland, although you will often find them on an Irish pub menu, as we did. However, Fortnum and Mason from the UK boasts of offering them way back in 1738, so they’ve been around for a good long time. Of course, various versions of boiled eggs wrapped in meat are found all over the world.
It appears they were first offered as a hardy food for travelers, but have since moved on to being served cold for picnics and snacks, or warm as an appetizer–pub food! O’Malley’s Scotch Eggs were served warm with a beer mustard.
More Fried Appetizers
Ingredients for Spicy Scotch Eggs with Mustard
(As a Walmart Affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases at the links below. See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
A Note About Ingredients
For this recipe, I chose to use a spicy pork sausage, with added mustard and nutmeg, but feel free to substitute a medium or mild sausage if you prefer. I suggest a sausage that has no more than 16 grams of fat. Williams or Oldham’s Country Sausage are good choices.
I used large fresh brown eggs, but I’ve seen recipes that used pullet eggs, or even duck eggs. If you stray from a normal hen egg, you may need to boil the eggs more or less, depending on their size.
When shopping for beer, go with a beer that you enjoy drinking. For this recipe, I’ve used Milk Stout and also Shiner Bock, which is an amber lager. Both turned out a nice flavor to the mustard.
Instructions For Making This Recipe
Gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Boil the Eggs
As mentioned above, I used farm fresh eggs for this recipe. Now, if you’re like me, you may hesitate to boil fresh eggs. In case you didn’t know, they have a very bad reputation for being incredibly hard to peel. However, one of my cousins shared her secret for preparing them. I’ve boiled three batches of fresh eggs, and so far, I haven’t had one single problem! They peel off easy peasy, slick as a whistle!
The Secret to Boiling Farm Fresh Eggs
I’m excited to pass this information along as a great way to boil Farm Fresh Eggs! Here are the steps for making the 8 boiled eggs needed for this recipe.
Remove 8 large eggs from refrigerator and allow to set out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water. Heat over medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
Using a wire strainer, lower eggs into the simmering water. The water should cover the eggs by at least 1-inch. Return water to a gentle boil, then set timer for 9-12 minutes. (9 minutes works well for Scotch Eggs, but I would do 12 minutes for Deviled Eggs.)
Place ice in a pan of cold water. Remove eggs with a wire strainer and place in the ice cold water. Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes.
After allotted time, begin tapping one egg shell on the counter multiple times. Then start peeling from the largest end of the egg where there is likelihood of a bubble. Use fingers to get under the membrane and start peeling the shell off.
Dip the peeled egg in the ice water to finish cleaning it and place on a plate or bowl. Repeat with remaining eggs.
Form the Scotch Eggs
Place spicy sausage in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork or your hands, mix in Dijon mustard and ground nutmeg until fully incorporated.
Next, lay out pieces of plastic wrap and divide the sausage into eighths. Place equal measures of sausage on each piece of plastic and fold the plastic over the sausage. Press down with the palm of your hand until the sausage is flattened out.
Place a boiled egg in the center of each sausage patty. Fold the sausage over the egg, using the plastic to help guide it into place. Gently squeeze the wrap closed until the sausage covers the egg. Carefully remove the plastic and *finish molding the sausage around the egg until completely covered. Place sausage-wrapped egg on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining eggs.
*For this last step, I dip my hand in cold water to prevent the sausage from sticking to my fingers, allowing me to completely cover the egg.
Prepare the Outer Coating
For this next part of the recipe, you’ll need 3 bowls to create three dipping stations. 1) Place all-purpose flour in the first bowl. 2) In the second bowl, whisk together 2 medium eggs and 2 tablespoons water. 3) For the third bowl, mix together the Italian-style bread crumbs and the smoked paprika.
Begin coating the eggs by dipping each one in the all-purpose flour, until the sausage is fully covered in flour. Next, dip one egg in the wet egg mixture, followed by the seasoned bread crumbs, completely covering the egg with each coating. Repeat with the remaining eggs. After all of the eggs are coated in the seasoned bread crumbs, I like to dip them once more in the crumbs to give them an extra coating.
When doing this type of coating, I always try to use one hand for dipping into the egg mixture, and my other hand for coating in breadcrumbs. This practice helps keep my hands from getting completely covered in a gooey mess, which in turn helps to keep my sanity in the kitchen!
Fry the Scotch Eggs
To begin the frying process, fill a Dutch oven with enough lard or vegetable oil to cover the eggs. Heat to 350°F, using a cooking thermometer to gauge the temperature. Try to maintain this temperature throughout the frying.
Once the temperature is hot enough, carefully add the eggs one at a time and cook for 4-6 minutes until the eggs are a dark golden brown and the sausage is cooked through. (I cooked four eggs at a time.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Scotch Eggs to a wire cooling rack placed inside a baking sheet.
If you’re concerned that the sausage is not fully cooked, place the cooked eggs in a 300°F oven for a few minutes while the remaining eggs are frying.
Baked Option
If you would prefer to bake the Scotch Eggs instead of deep frying, place eggs on a baking tray and spray the eggs with cooking spray. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Prepare the Mustard Sauce
Gather the ingredients to make the Mustard Sauce. In a small bowl, combine the whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, soy sauce, and stout beer. Mix until fully combined.
Serve with the Scotch Eggs. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
This mustard sauce is sweet and savory and is a nice compliment to the Scotch Eggs. Add in as much stout beer as you desire, for a thick or thin consistency. I used about 2 tablespoons.
Serve Scotch Eggs whole with a side of mustard sauce, or sliced in half to go with a salad. A sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper is nice, too. You may serve the eggs warm or cold. Both are quite delicious. Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days.
This recipe will serve 4-8 people.
Browse Similar Categories
Spicy Scotch Eggs with Mustard
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 16 oz spicy pork sausage
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- lard (for frying)
Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup whole mustard
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (reduced sodium)
- 1-2 tablespoons stout or lager beer
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Boil the Eggs
- Allow eggs to set out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water. Heat over medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Using a wire strainer, lower eggs into the simmering water. The water should cover the eggs by at least 1-inch. Return water to a gentle boil, then set timer for 9 minutes.
- Place ice in a pan of cold water. Remove eggs with a wire strainer and place in the ice water for 8-10 minutes. Peel from the largest end of the egg. Use fingers to get under the membrane and start peeling the shell off.
Form Scotch Eggs
- Place spicy sausage in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork or your hands, mix in Dijon mustard and ground nutmeg until fully incorporated.
- Next, lay out pieces of plastic wrap and divide the sausage into eighths. Place equal measures of sausage on plastic and flatten out with hand.
- Place a boiled egg in the center of each sausage patty. Fold the sausage over the egg, using the plastic to help guide it into place. Gently squeeze the wrap closed until the sausage covers the egg. Carefully remove the plastic and finish molding the sausage around the egg until completely covered. Wet hands in water, if necessary. Place sausage-wrapped egg on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining eggs.
Prepare Outer Coating
- Use 3 medium bowls for three dipping stations. Place all-purpose flour in the first bowl. In the second bowl, whisk together 2 medium eggs and 2 tablespoons water. For the third bowl, mix together the Italian-style bread crumbs and the smoked paprika.
- Begin coating the eggs by dipping each in the all-purpose flour, until the sausage is fully covered. Follow by dipping each egg in wet egg mixture and seasoned bread crumbs, completely covering the egg with each coating. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Finish by dipping eggs once more in the crumbs to give them an extra coating.
Fry Scotch Eggs
- Fill a Dutch oven with enough lard or vegetable oil to cover the eggs. Heat to 350°F using a cooking thermometer to gauge the temperature. Try to maintain this temperature throughout the frying process.
- Carefully add the eggs one at a time and cook for 4-6 minutes until the eggs are a dark golden brown and the sausage is cooked through. (I cooked four eggs at a time for 5 minutes.)
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Scotch Eggs to a wire cooling rack placed inside a baking sheet. Serves 4-8.
Prepare Mustard Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, soy sauce, and beer. Mix until fully combined. Serve with the Scotch Eggs. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
