How Do You Like Your Eggs? Scotch Eggs With Mustard Lemon Zest Dipping Sauce

A few weeks ago, I had a networking dinner at Wexler's, San Francisco (http://www.wexlerssf.com/). A dear friend had arranged the dinner to introduce me to a couple of people working in the gaming industry. They suggested Wexler's. I had never been to that restaurant before, and did not know what to expect. My thought was "A BBQ place in the San Francisco Financial District? Okay!!"  One of the people dining with us told us a story about the last time he dined at Wexler's - Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg was sitting at the table next to him. Well, to my pleasant surprise, it was a great evening. The atmosphere was casually elegant. The food was delicious. The service was attentive. My dining companions were great. I owe a huge thanks to my friend Mike S. for setting up the dinner and expanding my network. 

I am writing this post to reflect on something I ate at Wexler's that really caught my attention: "Scotch Eggs". Before that evening, I had never even heard of Scotch Eggs, let alone eaten them. One of the guys dining with us ordered the Scotch Eggs. I tried them, and I liked them. Wikipedia describes Scotch Eggs as "a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in bread crumbs and baked." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_egg

Today, I was flipping through my Food Network Magazine (October 2013), and saw a recipe for Scotch Eggs by Chef Robert Irvine. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robert-irvine/scotch-eggs-with-mustard-sauce-recipe2/index.html. I decided to experiment and make the Scotch Eggs. The process was fun - almost therapeutic for me as I love constructing food. It's an awesome feeling to see the progression of a dish from scratch (here, starting with the eggs and raw sausage) to the finished product. 

The experiment was a huge success!! We loved it. I actually liked it better than the one I tried at Wexler's. The flavors had more of an impact on me. I really liked the texture of the dish. The outside of the Scotch Eggs was crispy not oily (we used the Grapeseed Oil, which I think made a difference). The inside of the sausage was tender and juicy. The eggs inside the sausage were soft and succulent - the eggs came out like perfectly soft boil eggs. The mayonnaise sauce was a perfect accompaniment. (I modified it a bit by adding some lemon zest for an extra zing!) I will definitely make this recipe again.

 

A dish like this doesn't require much. So, I served it with a side of a green salad with a warm lemon tomato dressing, topped with blue cheese. This is a recipe also from the Food Network Magazine. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/green-salad-with-warm-tomato-dressing-recipe/index.html

In the spirit of experimenting, I decided to try a glass of a red wine blend that I had not had before: 2008 Sawyer Cellars Bradford Meritage, Red Wine, Rutherford, Napa Valley, CA. This is a full-bodied red wine consisting of a blend of: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  In the glass, it has a beautiful dark burgundy color. On the nose, you get wonderful aromas of dark cherry, tobacco and wild berries. Once you sip the wine, your palate is greeted with the tastes of ripened dark berry, black cherry, and a hint of smoke. The soft tannins give the wine a well balanced finish. It paired well with the Scotch Eggs.

Here is hoping you had a wonderful weekend, and a great week ahead.

Until next time. . . . Cheers!

ZinAdel