The Scotch egg has successfully integrated into the local tradition
In the United Kingdom, Scotch eggs can be purchased in regular supermarkets and small shops; they are often found at gas stations and in so-called roadside service areas. The dish is taken on picnics, used for a quick snack, and also as a bar appetizer.
So what is a Scotch egg? According to the traditional recipe, it is a boiled chicken egg wrapped in minced meat (usually lamb), coated in breadcrumbs, and baked or deep-fried. It can be served either cold or hot, with or without sauce.
At the same time, every cook has their own concept of the dish: it is made with quail eggs, instead of lamb mince they use fish or mashed potatoes. There are variations with bacon and even dessert versions.
According to the authoritative Oxford Companion to Food, the first printed recipe appeared in 1809 in Maria Rundell's book "A New System of Domestic Cookery." However, the exact origin of the Scotch egg is still unknown. According to one version, the dish was prepared in 1738 at the London department store Fortnum & Mason and was intended for the wealthiest travelers.
According to another hypothesis, the Scotch egg was "born" from Middle Eastern kofta. Originally, these kind of lamb meatballs were made in Persia. Among the varieties was kofta with a surprise inside: entire stuffed chickens were even hidden inside huge meatballs. The tradition was adopted in India during the Mughal Empire, from where after the British conquest it migrated to Great Britain.
Thus, the Scotch egg has no relation to the national cuisine of Scotland, although it has successfully integrated into the local tradition. So why did it become "scotch"? It is believed that the dish might originally have been called scotched egg, i.e., an egg that has been cut or scored (from the verb to scotch, among whose meanings are to cut, to maim). Another version associates it with anchovies, whose meat in 19th-century recipes was often added to the mince. In the names of dishes with these fish, the word scotch appeared for some reason.
The appearance of Scotch eggs in British cuisine was bound to attract the attention of Scotch enthusiasts sooner or later. The idea of combining two traditional national products and founding a club for connoisseurs of such a combination – the Scotch Egg Club – was conceived by the Scottish whiskey brand Dewar's, whose spiritual inspiration Thomas Dewar, besides producing the drink, is known to have raised chickens.
The combination of Scotch egg and Scotch is indeed unusual, especially for whiskey fans. However, the variability of both products opens up scope for gastronomic experiments.
This opinion is also shared by member of the Russian Association of Sommeliers Erkin Tuzmuhamedov. "The coating that surrounds the egg can be very different. It can be served with any whiskey, and in Scotland there are more than 100 distilleries that produce quite different whiskies. You can make any coating and choose any combination. Also, eggs can be large, chicken, or small, quail. They can be served cold or hot. So the diversity, the scope for the chef's imagination here is endless," he told the publication «Lenta.ru».
At the same time, according to him, local dishes always pair perfectly with local drinks. "The Scots had nothing else, no other drinks except beer and whiskey," the sommelier explained.
Dewar's brand ambassador in Scotland, Kara Anderson, also believes that Scotch eggs go well with any Scotch. "You just need to change the egg. I think whiskey is diverse in itself, and a Scotch egg is also very diverse, so you can change its flavor, adapting it and adding something fresh, seasonal," she explained.
At the same time, Anderson believes that other snacks are more suitable for some types of drink. For example, for whiskey with creamy notes, she recommends a mixture of goat cheese, walnuts, and honey, and for a richer one, dark chocolate, chocolate cake, or hazelnuts.