Twist your usual breakfast with sausage Scotched eggs

A note from Jim Bailey: I am working on my second cookbook, tentatively titled Close Up. It is dedicated to breast cancer survivors and/or their spouses, siblings or family members who had to endure this life-altering disease. If you would like to share your story with me for inclusion in my book, please contact me at theyankeechef@aol.com. Now, for this week’s recipe!

By Jim Bailey
theyankeechef.blogspot.com

One might think that ‘Scotched’ referred to the place of origin for this delicious, wrapped and baked egg. But that would not be the case. The word ‘Scotched’ simply refers to the fact that the meat is pressed, or scotched, against the egg before coating and baking. So simple to make, I would even offer this recipe with cheese sauce for a filling treat.

Sausage wrapped Scotched eggs

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
5 eggs, hard boiled and cooled
2 tablespoons cornmeal or flour
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 cup Breakfast Red Pepper Glaze, recipe below

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or wax paper; set aside.

Whisk eggs with milk well; set aside. Roll hard boiled eggs lightly in cornmeal. Portion the sausage into 5 mounds. Take one mound and flatten it out in the palm of your hand. Lay one coated egg in the middle of the sausage and form the sausage around it, pinching in places, if needed, to seal. Repeat with remaining eggs.

Roll the sausage-coated eggs in the egg wash, then into bread crumbs, firmly forming so crumbs stick. If desired, repeat this step twice for a thick crust.

Lay the eggs on an ungreased pan and bake 25-30 minutes, or until nicely crisp and browned. Remove from oven and slice in half to serve immediately with Breakfast Red Pepper Glaze.

Breakfast Red Pepper Glaze

While sausages are cooking, combine 1/2 cup chili sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and salt and black pepper to taste in a small saucepan. Bring to scalding over medium heat, stirring a couple of times. Serve hot.

Schiffer Books of Pennsylvania has released Jim Bailey’s new book The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen. It contains more than 550 traditional New England comfort-food recipes tweaked for today’s palates with hundreds of kitchen tips and food facts. The hardback book is 312 pages and contains 200 color images. Its ISBN is 978-0-7643-4191-5 and the cost is $34.99. The book can be ordered through Misty Valley Books, 802-875-3400.