Believe it or not, I only ate my first Scotch egg after I became an adult. Unlike people who stay in the UK, Scotch eggs are not something for a picnic, party or in the local pubs. Rather it is considered an exotic combination of egg and meat.

A Scotch egg is attractive no matter how you display it.  You can serve it alone, garnished or as part of a combo meal for afternoon tea, lunch boxes, and picnic. Before I started my food business, I was puzzled how to make the multiple layers of the eggs that are so beautiful and attractive.

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It was long after my childhood before I decided to prepare my Scotch eggs now. I can’t think of any Asian food that I can associate to the unusual appearance of Scotch egg. Rather, I can relate Scotch egg to beef Wellington, although the taste and the presentation are entirely different. Despite the differences, the colorful layers, and oozing egg yolk when cutting and the egg has deeply engraved into my memory.

Scotch egg with a Japanese flavor

Certainly, my Scotch eggs are not the same as the original version from the UK. The thought of incorporating Asian flavor came about naturally. I try to visualize how I want the taste to be and utilizing ingredients that are locally available.

This recipe is a Scotch egg recipe with an oriental twist. Minced beef is used instead of sausage, and with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato ketchup. The meat is similar to the Japanese version of hamburger called Hambagu.

The eggs are prepared by the soft boiled method, to ensure the egg yolks are still runny even after deep-frying. The is like the Japanese soft boiled egg with custard-like texture.

It is more meaningful for me to create a new recipe rather than limited by traditional cooking styles. There is a feeling of satisfaction when I create something new. With this in mind, I tweak the original recipe and incorporate a Japanese flavor in it, and I called it Oriental style Scotch egg. It sounds a little ambiguous, but I’ll stick to it till I can think of a better name. The final formula I settle will not be anything British and Scottish.

The traditional Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped with mashed sausage meat encased with breadcrumbs. In some variations, the cook will add some puddings to the sausage mixture. Since there is no fixed rule that I must use sausage, and good sausage is hard to get in where I live, I decided to substitute it with minced meat seasoned with soy and Worcestershire sauce. These ingredients are also the primary flavoring agent in Japanese hamburger which I posted earlier. I am confident that this combination of flavor will be well accepted by the locals and for those who like Asian flavor in other countries.

This is Scotch egg recipe with an oriental twist- flavored with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato ketchup.

I cook the egg just hard enough for me to peel off the shell while still holding the runny yolk at the center. The texture of the runny yolk is similar to those served with ramen. I deep fried the eggs until lightly golden brown, just like karaage and tempura. The eggs are served by nesting on a bed of carrot and daikon, and with kewpie mayonnaise as the dipping sauce.

Try this new Scotch egg recipe for your next party, afternoon and picnic. It takes only less than 20 minutes to prepare. Do let me know how it tastes like If you ever make it.

10 simple tricks to prepare the Scotch egg successfully

Note: I try to make it clear as much as I can.  Please read the following tips before attempting the recipe.

• I use a medium sized egg which is about 55g each. You need to adjust the duration of the egg is larger to get the right texture.
• The perfect time to cook the egg white until just hard enough to peel off the shell while still holding the runny yolk at the center is 5 minutes.
• You can boil the egg for 6-8 minutes to make a semi-hard boiled egg.  It is easier to handle than a soft boiled egg that is very delicate.  I only cooked the eggs for 5 minutes because I like the texture of Japanese soft boiled egg like those you eat with ramen.
• Bring the water to a boil before submerging the eggs in the water. Boil enough water so that the eggs are fully submerged to ensure even cooking.
• You need to adjust the boiling time a little longer if you use refrigerated eggs.  I use eggs at room temperature in the recipe.
• Let the eggs roll slightly in the boiling water occasionally in the first two minutes. The egg white will set partially, and the yolk will stay in the middle. It is important to keep the yolk at the center since we will cut to review it and serve.
• It is easier to peel the eggshells under running tap water.  The water seeps in between the shells, and the shell will loosen the membrane from the egg white.
• Deep fried with medium heat to avoid the color of the breadcrumb darkens quickly with high heat. The goal is to cook the meat and to form a beautiful light brown crust. Avoid deep-fried over an extended period because it can harden the egg yolk,
• You can use the method I demonstrate in the video to wrap the meat around the egg, which is less messy and fast. Flatten the meat patties in between two plastic sheets. Remove the plastic sheet on top and place the egg on the patty. Lift up the four corners of the plastic sheet and the meat will adhere onto the egg. Remove the plastic sheet. Cover the remaining surface with more meat, or remove if there is any excess.
• The patty is quite soft due to the use of ketchup, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.  You can encase the egg with the patty can freeze it for half an hour if you have the problem to handle the eggs. Once the eggs freeze partially, it is easier to apply the egg wash and bread crumb.