As part of my quest to find easy (for the morning) protein-filled breakfasts, when I came across Baked (rather than fried) Scotch Eggs, I determined to try them.

They were pretty good. I chose to make a quarter of the recipe, being 3, but I doubt I’d bother with any less than half again. I don’t know that the bacon is particularly essential, but it was an awfully nice addition:-)

Without further ado, the recipe.

Baked Scotch Eggs based on the recipe from Jill Dupleix’s Very Simple Food
(for six)

6 large eggs
2 1/2 slices bread, crusts removed
100 mls milk
500 grams good sausage meat (ask at your butcher)
1/2 egg, beaten (beat, then measure out half. Save the remainder to brush over pies or the like)
1 tablspoon parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
freshly ground salt and pepper
3 rashers rindless bacon, cut in half

Heat the oven to 190˚C. Lightly oil a large muffin tray (if you aren’t using the bacon, this is probably necessary, with bacon, not so much).
Hardboil the 6 eggs (erring on the side of just done.) Drain, run under cold water to stop the cooking, and peel.
Soak the bread in the milk for 1 minute. Drain and squeeze dry. Combine the bread and sausage meat in a bowl, using your hands. Add the parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper and beaten egg, and mix well.
Place a half rasher of bacon in the base of each muffin hole. Put a little of the sausage mix on it, and flatten it out. Stand an egg in each hole, pointy end up. Cover each egg with the remainder of the sausage mix. Pack it around so that the egg is completely hidden. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Drain well (I’d probably put them on paper towel next time). and remove from the tray.
Serve hot, cold or warm, cut in half with freshly ground black pepper. We ended up eating them for lunch, but I anticipate making them mostly for breakfasts.