PICNICS: 'ARTISAN' SCOTCH EGGS, lower-fat, lower-cost. make ahead, portable

Scotch Eggs that are actually healthier and better for you?  You bet!

Desk Picnic: Healthier Scotch Eggs 
(with no-recipe tomato, raw mushrooms & cooked pea salad with yoghurt-mayo) 
'This was a great Scotch Egg; it really did not taste low-fat at all.  It was full of flavour, good and oniony.' 20-something Fijian-Aussie taster

If you've sampled the wonderful Artisan Scotch Eggs sold in high-end delis, you'll know how delicious they are.  But also how expensive and calorific.  £3.50 is a lot for sausage meat wrapped around an egg, however high quality the ingredients.   

67 has created Skinnier Scotch Eggs that look and taste like the real Artisan thing -- but with greatly reduced fat levels and at much lower cost. Though they cannot be classed as frugal, the Skinnier Scotch Eggs come in at half the usual price.

The trick is in using minced turkey or chicken (the best you can afford).  Dress it up with ham hock and a single low-fat high-meat sausage, sharply reducing the amount of preservatives.  Don't think you need to deep-fry the eggs to get that wonderful crunchy coating; spraying the breadcrumb layer with olive oil before baking has the same effect.  

The Scotch Eggs can be prepared a day a head.  One problem with cooking them in this healthier way is that the yolk is unlikely to retain that cheffy runny yolk.  67 reckons that's a small price to pay.

For anyone with health issues, these Skinnier Scotch Eggs will no longer be a forbidden treat -- though obviously they are not for everyday or even every week.  For everyone, they'll make a tasty and satisfying portable lunch or picnic with a salad on the side. 

Cost: £3.50
Makes: 4 Scotch Eggs

Ingred:
   200gms/8oz minced turkey (breast meat has only 2% fat but thigh has more flavour)  
     50gms/1 3/4oz finely diced cooked ham hock (frugal), or sliced ham/pastrami (not frugal)
    1 venison or wild boar sausage, skin removed
    1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
    3/4 tsp dried nutmeg
    1/2 tsp celery salt (opt)
    1/4 bunch chives or 1/3 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
     
    4 raw eggs
    
    1 beaten egg 
    handful of flour
    3/4 cup breadcrumbs (home-made or Panko; 67 made spelt breadcrumbs)

Method:

1. Place raw eggs in a pan; cover with cold water; bring to the boil, reduce heat slightly; cook 3 mins 
2. Drain eggs, place in ice water or run under cold tap till cool
3. Rap the bottom and top of egg on a board; gently roll until shells are cracked.  Carefully peel. Refrigerate. 
4. Mix turkey, ham & sausage meat, mustard, nutmeg & chives or spring onions, ensuring all ingredients are evenly distributed; use a light hand
5. Season with plenty of coarsely ground black pepper & a bit of salt if not using celery salt; divide mix into 4 equal sections 
6. Set up three wide bowls; in the first put a couple of handfuls of flour; the 2nd, the beaten egg; the third, breadcrumbs
7. Lightly flour the board, press down on one meatball with a fork or fish slice until 1/8 inch thick
8. Lift and wrap gently round an egg, pinching the edges together
9. Roll in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing crumbs on if necessary. Repeat with the other 3 eggs.  (The eggs can now be covered & refrigerated until the following day.) 
10. Pre-heat oven to 375f/190c/170fan/gas 5
11. Place eggs on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper
12. Spray eggs generously with olive oil (opt)
13. Bake 20-25 mins

Tips:

• If you liked this you will probably also like: Healthier Sausage Rolls & Healthier Spanakopita

More Skinnier Food on NavBar: Recipes 11

        

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.