Traditional Scotch eggs—hard-boiled eggs covered with sausage and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried—are easy to riff on, like we did with this Mexican-inspired version. First, spicy chorizo sausage is rolled into a thin layer and wrapped around soft-boiled eggs. Next, the chorizo-wrapped eggs are dredged in flour, dipped in beaten egg, and rolled in crushed tortilla chips, then fried. To serve, top with a cool avocado crema. Enjoy these eggs for breakfast, brunch, or with a slushy margarita for happy hour.
What to buy: Mexican chorizo (not to be confused with its Spanish counterpart) is a fresh pork sausage that must be cooked prior to eating. It can be mild or spicy, and is found at gourmet markets or online. If you can’t find Mexican chorizo, you can sub in any fresh, spicy sausage.
Special equipment: You’ll need a deep-frying/candy thermometer for this recipe.
This recipe was featured as part of our Scotch eggs project for Easter.
- Yield: 6 eggs
- Difficulty: Medium
- Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients (7)
- 8 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 ounces corn tortilla chips
- 12 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
- 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- Avocado Crema, for dipping
Instructions
- Place 6 of the eggs in a medium saucepan (they should fit in a single layer). Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover it with a tightfitting lid and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and water.
- When the eggs are ready, transfer them to the ice water bath using a slotted spoon. Let the eggs sit until they’re cold, about 10 minutes. Carefully crack and peel each egg. (It’s OK if your eggs aren’t perfectly peeled.) Rinse the eggs under cold water to remove any residual shell pieces and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- Crack the remaining 2 eggs into a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and lightly whisk with a fork to break them up; set aside. Place the flour in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine; set aside.
- Place the tortilla chips in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process into fine crumbs (you should have about 1 cup). Alternatively, place the chips in a resealable plastic bag, press out the air, and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the chips into uniform fine crumbs. Place the crumbs in a second shallow dish; set aside.
- Divide the chorizo into 6 even portions, roll each into a ball, and place on the baking sheet with the boiled eggs.
- Line a work surface with plastic wrap and have a second sheet of plastic wrap ready. Place 1 ball of chorizo in the middle of the plastic wrap on the work surface and cover with the second sheet of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll the chorizo into a very thin patty about 5 inches in diameter.
- Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and set it aside. Place a boiled egg in the center of the patty. Gently pull the edges of the bottom plastic wrap up to enclose the egg in the chorizo patty. Pick up the chorizo-wrapped egg and use your hands to gently smooth out the surface and patch any holes, making sure the egg is completely and tightly encased in chorizo. Return the egg to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chorizo and eggs.
- Dredge 1 chorizo-enclosed egg in the flour. Next, dip it in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drip off. Finally, roll it in the tortilla chip crumbs until well coated, then gently press to adhere the coating. Return the egg to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep-frying/candy thermometer. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet; set aside.
- When the oil is ready, add 3 of the eggs. Fry, turning occasionally, until they’re golden brown and the chorizo is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- To serve, cut each egg in half and season the cut sides with salt. Serve with avocado crema for dipping.
