Scotch eggs are one of those dishes you know about, somehow.
Maybe you heard mention of them on one of those cynical episodes of “Chopped” where they try to trip up competing chefs. Perhaps you are fond of early 20th century English travel literature. Like Welsh rarebit or bird’s nest soup, they receive nods of recognition — until the embarrassed silence that follows a simple “what’s it taste like?”
Of course, the reputation of Scotch eggs suffered when British cooking took its well deserved beating in the decades that followed World War Two. Yet the hefty rounds of egg, meat and coating have been on somewhat of a comeback, with star chefs such as Gordon Ramsey touting recipes.
So it comes as only a modest surprise to find a version of the classic treat on the new menu at O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company.
The eggs have a rustic beauty. The creaking, creased yellow of a hard boiled yolk surrounded by a porcelain matte, nestled in a frame of ground pork and mottled breadcrumbs. Chef Roy Iversen rolls the eggs in Italian breakfast sausage, providing a light herbal lift and — at the end — a welcome kick of spice.
Simple country gravy served alongside provides a creamy note that picks up on the gentle savor of the egg. At the same time, it offers a hand to the meat, in the form of a subtle earthy bite.
“I thought a good spin on it would be the gravy,” Iversen said. “It’s like breakfast — egg, sausage and gravy.”
Iversen prefers to bake the eggs rather than employ the deep fryer. And he serves the dish at a notch above room temperature, in keeping with tradition for Scotch eggs prepared in the oven. It was, after all, a picnic treat in days of yore.
How does O’Meara’s version stack up to the Victorian era favorite? Well, despite the usual origin stories, Scotch eggs were always subject to regional flair. Some suggest the British adapted it from the Indian nargisi kofta. Others point to a popular market, which claims to have created the recipe sometime in the 1850s. There were versions served with brown gravy or seasoned with Worcestershire sauce.
Oh, and the dish is associated more with England and Ireland than Scotland, for reasons lost to history beyond some efforts at conjecture.
Either way, Iversen said, “people seem to like them.”
In keeping with the round appetizer theme, Iversen added “Sweet & Spicy Bacon Bombs” to the menu.
Yes, they are just meatballs wrapped in bacon — “You can’t go wrong with bacon,” Iversen explained — but there is an impeccable balance to the dish.
Although traced by sugar, the sweetness remains in reserve. While the bite of heat is noticeable, the chef holds it in abeyance. Smoky streaks from the bacon find kinship in the deft dusting of sugar and spice.
The secret?
“We use a dark brown sugar, which has more of a molasses flavor,” Iversen said. “And I like the smokiness of chipotle, so I mix some in with the sugar.”
The result is another measured, hearty and thoroughly satisfying starter.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
