RECIPES
Barbecue
Scotch Eggs
by Marcus Bawdon
Since posting my first recipe for barbecue
Scotch eggs online about a year ago, the
barbecue world has been going crazy for
them. There have been some wonderful
twists to the traditional recipe, with
bacon-wrapped eggs becoming a firm
favorite. My favorite tweak has been to
add a sprinkle of black pudding on the
inside with the sausage meat. This is
definitely a super-food Scotch egg.
n First, soft-boil the eggs. I have worked on
the timings for eggs to achieve a perfect
level of ooziness and found that simmering
UK medium/UK large hen’s eggs for 6
minutes, then transferring them
immediately to a bowl of iced water to cool
works best for me. Once cooked, peel the
eggs carefully.
n For each Scotch egg, grab a handful of
sausage meat and spread out into a disc on
a piece of clingfilm. Crumble over some
black pudding until the sausage meat is
evenly covered.
n Place an egg on top and carefully bring
the sausage meat over and around to cover
the egg evenly, smoothing over the edges
and joins.
n Repeat for the remainder of the sausage
meat and eggs, until you have four Scotch
eggs. Let rest in the refrigerator for a
minimum of 30 minutes–1 hour.
n Just before cooking, sprinkle the eggs
with the barbecue rub. This is where you can make a Scotch egg truly your own.
n Smoke the Scotch eggs on the barbecue
with the lid on for about 40 minutes. I added
a little hickory and cherry wood to smoke for
more flavor and color.
n If you wish, brush the Scotch eggs all over
with your choice of barbecue sauce, and
cook for a minute or two more with the lid
on, checking the sauce doesn’t burn.
n Ensure the sausage meat in the Scotch
eggs reaches an internal temperature of
165°F (74°C) before serving.
Firepit Lamb Chops hours to build up a thick and even bed
of embers). by Marcus Bawdon SERVES 1 the embers of the silver birch fire,
searing each side for a few minutes until
caramelised. As you turn the chops, brush
the hot surface with the herby baste.
n Check the chops are cooked through to
an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) –
you want them to be slightly pink and juicy.
n Remove the chops from the grill and let
rest with a little more baste brushed over
before serving.
RECOMMENDED HEAT
Set up a barbecue for a little gentle direct
heat at 285°F (140°C) with the lid on to
crisp up the sausage meat. If you wish, add
a little hickory and cherry wood to smoke
on the coals for additional flavor and color.
MAKES 4
4 UK large eggs
500g good-quality sausage meat
100g black pudding
3 tbsp barbecue dry rub of your choice
Barbecue sauce of your choice, to
glaze (optional)
Cooking simple food over the embers of a
wood fire in a firepit is a skill that should be
learnt by any aspiring outdoor cook.
Getting the heat to the right level is where
the mastery of fire control comes into its
own. Achieving the right type of heat is key
– you need a good solid bed of embers to
work with once the flames have died down,
but before the coals have lost their edge.
You want to sear and crisp up the fat on
the meat without cremating it. For the herb
baste used for these lamb chops, I included
a single anchovy fillet. This is optional, but
does make the baste taste better.
RECOMMENDED HEAT
Embers of a silver birch fire (ensuring the
fire has been going for a minimum of 2
24 | Spring 2020 | BBQ
2 lamb chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE HERB BASTE
2 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and
thyme
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 canned anchovy fillet (optional)
n To make the herb baste, blitz all the
ingredients together in a food processor or
using a hand blender until you have a
coarse paste.
n Season the chops to taste and grill over
GRILL TIPS
For the barbecue dry rub, I opted for a
homemade version. Barbecuers have come
up with some awesome ideas for covering
Scotch eggs, including mixing panko
breadcrumbs with a dry rub, as well as
wrapping with bacon. What you decide to
do for the dry coating is where you can
transform these Scotch into something
uniquely yours.