Gordon Ramsay’s scotch eggs are soft-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat with crumbled black pudding and grated apple, coated in panko and fried until golden. The recipe comes from Ultimate Home Cooking and makes four scotch eggs in about 25 minutes.
In the YouTube video, Ramsay calls them “the perfect all-in-one mini picnic breakfast” and says the black pudding seasons the meat from the inside. The grated apple adds sweetness that makes them easier for children to eat.
The detail that separates his version from most is the 4½ minute boil. Most scotch egg recipes use 8-10 minutes for a fully set yolk, but Ramsay wants the opposite. The sausage meat cooks through while the egg inside stays soft.
Gordon Ramsay’s Scotch Eggs
Course: AppetizerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium4
15
minutes12
minutes485
kcal27
minutesThe one Gordon Ramsay takes fishing. Three scotch egg recipes exist across three of his cookbooks: this version from Ultimate Home Cooking with black pudding and apple, a herb and mustard classic from Great British Pub Food, and a venison version from Bread Street Kitchen.
Ingredients
6 free-range eggs (4 for boiling, 2 for egg wash)
200g best-quality sausage meat
200g best-quality black pudding, skin removed, meat crumbled
½ Granny Smith apple, grated
4 tbsp plain flour
150g panko breadcrumbs
Flavourless oil (groundnut or sunflower) for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Boil the eggs: Place 4 eggs in boiling water and boil for exactly 4½ minutes. Drain, fill the pan with cold water, tap the eggs against the side to crack the shells and leave to cool in the water.
- Make the sausage meat mix: Combine the sausage meat, crumbled black pudding and grated apple until well mixed. Divide into 4 equal pieces and shape into flattened ovals.
- Set up the assembly line: Place the seasoned flour in one dish, beat the remaining 2 eggs in another, and tip the panko breadcrumbs into a third.
- Wrap the eggs: Peel the boiled eggs. Place each one in the centre of a sausage meat oval and press the mixture around it until evenly covered. Keep the coating even and not too thick.
- Coat: Dust each wrapped egg in flour, shaking off excess. Roll in beaten egg, letting any excess drip off. Finally coat in panko breadcrumbs, pressing them into the meat so they stick.
- Fry: Pour a 4cm depth of oil into a sauté pan and heat until it shimmers. Shallow-fry the scotch eggs for 10-12 minutes, turning often, until golden and crisp all over.
- Serve: Drain on kitchen paper. Serve warm or cold.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay soft-boil the eggs for only 4½ minutes?
The short boil keeps the yolk liquid in the centre so when you cut one open you get a golden stream running through the meat. In the video, Ramsay says “the eggs are cooked soft and running, so the objective is just to cook the sausage meat.”
In Great British Pub Food, he takes the opposite approach and boils for 8 minutes for a fully set yolk. That version is more traditional and easier to transport without leaking. If you struggle with the soft-boiled timing, the 8 minute version is more forgiving.
Why add black pudding and apple to the sausage meat?
The black pudding adds a deep savoury richness without needing extra salt or spices. The grated Granny Smith keeps the meat moist during frying so it does not dry out inside the panko shell.
In GBPF, the classic version uses parsley, sage, English mustard powder and lemon zest instead. No black pudding, no apple. That gives a more herby, traditional flavour while the UHC version is richer and darker.
Why use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular?
Panko flakes are larger and drier than standard breadcrumbs, so they stay crispy for longer after frying. Ramsay says in the video to “push the breadcrumbs into the sausage meat” because panko sits on the surface otherwise and can fall off during cooking.
GBPF uses fine white breadcrumbs made from day-old bread and coats TWICE: flour, egg, breadcrumbs, then egg and breadcrumbs again. That double coating creates a thicker, denser shell. Panko with a single coat gives a lighter, crunchier finish.
How does the Bread Street Kitchen venison version differ?
BSK replaces sausage meat entirely with minced venison mixed with one sausage for binding. The meat is spiced with coriander, cumin and nutmeg, with double cream to keep it moist. The cooking is a hybrid: deep-fry for 4 minutes then bake at 200C for 8 minutes.
Venison is so lean it would dry out with 10-12 minutes of frying alone. The oven finishes the cooking gently without overcrisping the outside. For another way to use venison, try his venison pie which braises the meat first.
Can you make scotch eggs ahead?
GBPF says they “can be made a couple of days in advance, but they are best enjoyed freshly cooked.” UHC says to serve warm or cold. The honest answer is that the panko coating loses its crunch after a few hours in the fridge.
For a picnic, wrap them in greaseproof paper as Ramsay does in the video. He uses the same three-stage breadcrumbing for chicken goujons and schnitzel, and those also need eating the same day for the best crunch.
