May 25, 20213 min read

Vegan Scotch Eggs!

That's right, yolks! I've only gone and done it!

Scotch eggs are flippin' delicious, end of.

This vegan seitan version hits all the right spots, using a tofu scramble "egg" and seitan sausage, then fried in golden breadcrumbs for the ultimate picnic experience! even better served with a blob of mustard or brown sauce (trust me).

So, let's get to it!

This recipe makes 10-15 eggs, depending how big you want them

You will need: for the sausage: 150g Vital Wheat Gluten, 50g strong bread flour, 100g precooked beetroot (from a packet is fine), 200ml vegetable or vegan chicken stock, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp mixed herbs

for the egg: 1/2 large block of firm tofu, 1/2 tsp each of turmeric and onion powder, salt and pepper

for the coating: plain flour, plant milk, golden breadcrumbs - plus vegetable oil to fry.

1. Let's make some sausage! Add all the sausage ingredients (apart from the wheat gluten and bread flour) into a blender and blitz until super smooth. Measure out the gluten and flour into a large bowl and stir together, slowly adding in the blended ingredients until a soft dough forms. Knead this for a minute until everything is incorporated evenly. Cover and leave to one side whilst you make the tofu egg.

2. Put the tofu into a medium bowl and crush with a fork to make a scramble-like consistency. Add the turmeric, onion powder and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir through.

3. Cut your seitan dough into 30g pieces. Take a piece at a time and lightly flatten out on a piece of cling film using the palm of your hand. Make a "C" shape with your hand and place the seitan on top. Take a heaped teaspoon of the tofu mixture and place in the center on the seitan, gently pushing downwards as you do to stuff the seitan. Pinch the seitan closed and make sure the tofu is completely covered by the seitan. Wrap in the cling film to make a ball. Repeat until you've used everything up (You can make them as big or as small as you like!)

4. Once wrapped in clingfilm, wrap tightly in tin foil to prevent any seitan explosions. Once wrapped, place in a pan of boiling water and allow to simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes. Then, remove from the water and allow to cool until comfortable to touch, then unwrap.

5. For the coating, you will need 3 small bowls. One containing plain flour, one containing golden breadcrumbs, and one containing a mixture of plain flour and plant milk (I used oat) to make a thin batter that just coats the back of a spoon. One at a time, take an egg and coat in the flour, followed by the batter, and then breadcrumbs. Then, back into the batter, and back into the breadcrumbs for a double-dipped breading.

6. Once you have coated all of your eggs, you are ready to fry. Fill a pan with vegetable oil about 1.5 inches deep and place over a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry your eggs in batches for 2 minutes on both/all side until evenly golden (we just want to crisp it up!) Place on a plate with kitchen roll to absorb excess oil and let them cool.