Copycat Scotch Eggs & Beet Salad from the Leaky Cauldron
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What’s Up, Hungry Muggles
It’s officially Harry Potter week in the Starving Chef’s kitchen, and I figured it was high time to recreate one of my all-time favorite magical recipes – one that is inspired by a dish you can find in the real-life Diagon Alley.
One of my favorite places to visit is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter located at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Packed with muggles, of course, this place is hands down a must-go destination for any Potterhead.
The Leaky Cauldron is a great spot to grab a bite to eat and escape the Florida sun. While the menu has an array of traditional English dishes, it was always the Scotch eggs and beet salad that stood out to me and left me thinking about it long after I had returned to the Muggle world.
What Are Scotch Eggs?
Scotch eggs are essentially hard-boiled eggs wrapped in a sweet and spicy sausage, then breaded and fried to golden perfection. They are served with a mustard sauce for dipping.
The beet salad side is a refreshingly tangy addition to the plate. Served cold, it is topped with a pop of pesto. Beet salad is seriously now one of my favorite things because of this dish!
So much so that I’ve decided to whip out my wand to make a copycat version for hungry muggles like yourself. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Starving Chef YouTube channel for even more Harry Potter content!
Here’s What You Need
While witches and wizards likely have their own magical methods for making these Scotch eggs, here are the common ingredients that any muggle can find at their non-magical grocery store:
- Eggs – Large eggs for a bigger yolk or standard-sized eggs for more egg white.
- Breakfast Sausage, Maple Sausage & Spicy Sausage – Mix and match your favorite varieties, but this combination best replicates the Leaky Cauldron’s flavors.
- Panko – To give your eggs that extra crispy breading.
- Mustard Powder – Adds some bite to the crust.
- Sour Cream & Spicy Brown Mustard – These combine to make a delicious dipping sauce.
- Roasted Beets – Soft and tender, they’ll melt in your mouth. Be warned: red beets will stain anything they touch!
- Apples – Sweet apples complement the earthiness of the beets.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Brings a zing to the salad.
- Honey – Chilled honey ties all the flavors together.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Helps the dressing adhere to every nook and cranny of the salad.
The eggs in the above photo show you what a runny center can look like. Personally, I love extra dipping sauce in the middle of my eggs—more for the sausage crust!
This is how I imagine Voldemort would have preferred his eggs cooked (assuming he eats at all): crispy on the outside and yolky on the inside, just like his soul.
What are Scotch Eggs?
Scotch eggs are essentially hard boiled eggs wrapped in a sweet and spicy sausage and then breaded and fried golden brown. They are served with a mustard sauce for dipping.
The beet salad side is refreshingly tangy addition to the plate. Served cold, it is topped with a pop of pesto. Beet salad is seriously now one of my favorite things because of this dish!
Here’s What You Need
While witches and wizards likely have their own magical methods for making these Scotch eggs, here are the common ingredients that any muggle can find at their non-magical grocery store:
- Eggs – Large eggs for a bigger yolk or standard-sized eggs for more egg white.
- Breakfast Sausage, Maple Sausage & Spicy Sausage – Mix and match your favorite varieties, but this combination best replicates the Leaky Cauldron’s flavors.
- Panko – To give your eggs that extra crispy breading.
- Mustard Powder – Adds some bite to the crust.
- Sour Cream & Spicy Brown Mustard – These combine to make a delicious dipping sauce.
- Roasted Beets – Soft and tender, they’ll melt in your mouth. Be warned: red beets will stain anything they touch!
- Apples – Sweet apples complement the earthiness of the beets.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Brings a zing to the salad.
- Honey – Chilled honey ties all the flavors together.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Helps the dressing adhere to every nook and cranny of the salad.
The eggs in the above photo show you what a runny center can look like. Personally, I love extra dipping sauce in the middle of my eggs—more for the sausage crust!
This is how I imagine Voldemort would have preferred his eggs cooked (assuming he eats at all): crispy on the outside and yolky on the inside, just like his soul.
Let’s Make Some Magic
Boiling Your Eggs
One of the most important steps to this recipe is properly boiling your eggs. You can hard or soft boil your eggs to your preference!
- Hard Boil – In a large pot, cover 6 eggs (don’t crowd the pot) with one inch of cold water. Put the pot on the stove on high heat. When the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs continue cooking for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath and gently crack the eggs, without removing the shells, and let them rest in the ice bath for at least one hour. Then peel. If you aren’t using them right away, chill until ready to use. Prior to using in the recipe, let the eggs come to room temperature.
- Soft Boil – For a runny yolk in the middle, you’ll need to soft boil the eggs. The process is mostly the same, except only let the eggs cook for 6-8 minutes. The eggs will be more fragile in this soft-boil state, so I recommend lightly cracking and letting them chill in the ice bath overnight for easy peeling.
Preparing the Scotch Eggs
In a large bowl, mix the sausages until well combined. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4-1/2 cup measuring cup to measure out even portions of the sausage. Place the scoops of sausage between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten the meat with your hands until it is about a quarter-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining meat.
Set up a Scotch egg-making station! In one bowl, add the flour. In a second bowl, add the whisked eggs. In a third bowl, mix together the panko, mustard powder, salt, and pepper.
Remove the top sheet of plastic from the first flattened sausage patty. Roll a hard-boiled and peeled egg in flour, then place it in the center of the sausage patty. Wrap the sausage around the egg and pinch the edges closed so that the egg is completely enclosed. Repeat with the remaining eggs and sausage.
Frying the Scotch Eggs
Prepare a deep fryer or pot with oil heated to 350°F. To bread each sausage-wrapped egg, first dredge it in flour, then roll it in the whisked eggs. Let the excess egg drip off, then roll it in the panko until completely coated. Repeat with the remaining wrapped eggs.
Carefully place the eggs in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and the sausage is cooked through—about 7-10 minutes per egg. Be sure to work in batches and keep flipping the eggs so that they are evenly golden on each side. Remove from the hot oil and let cool for at least 5 minutes to fully set the sausage and breading.
Concerning Beet Salad
Professor Sprout is known for her delicious beets – for this recipe, we’ll be borrowing a few for our beet salad side!
- roasted beets – soft and tender, these beets will melt in your mouth. Be warned that red beets will stain anything they touch!
- apples – sweet apples help bring out the flavor of the beets
- spicy brown mustard – for a dash of heat to counteract the sweet
- apple cider vinegar – to add a bit of ZING!
- honey – when chilled, the honey will pull all of the flavors together
- extra virgin olive oil – to help adhere the delicious sauce to every nook and cranny
The longer the beets and apples marinate in the mustard sauce, the more flavor you will get. It’s just like magic!
Serving the Dish
While the eggs are cooling, prepare the mustard dipping sauce by stirring together the sour cream and spicy brown mustard.
On each serving plate, use a few lettuce leaves to create a bed for the beet salad. Serve the Scotch eggs with a generous serving of beets and a side of mustard dipping sauce.
Tips for Magical Cooking
- Avoid Overcooking the Eggs: Timing is everything when boiling eggs. For hard-boiled eggs, be sure to remove them from the hot water on time to avoid an unpleasant green ring around the yolk.
- Uniform Sausage Patties: Try to keep the sausage patties even in thickness. This will ensure that the eggs cook evenly and maintain a nice shape.
- Oil Temperature Matters: Maintain the oil at 350°F. Too hot, and the outside will burn before the inside is cooked; too cool, and they’ll soak up oil and get greasy.
- Roasting the Beets: When roasting beets, keep an eye on them toward the end of the cooking time. Smaller beets will cook faster, so check for tenderness with a fork.
- Marinating for Flavor: Allow the beet salad to marinate as long as possible. The longer they sit, the more flavorful they become, making the salad even more delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of sausage can I use?
- You can mix and match your favorite sausages, but the combination of breakfast, maple, and spicy sausages gives a taste closest to what’s served at The Leaky Cauldron.
- Can I make the beet salad ahead of time?
- Absolutely! In fact, letting the beet salad marinate overnight enhances its flavor.
- Do I have to use panko breadcrumbs?
- Panko breadcrumbs provide the best crunch, but you can substitute regular breadcrumbs if needed.
- What other sauces pair well with Scotch eggs?
- In addition to the mustard sauce, you can try a tangy aioli or even a spicy ketchup for dipping.
The eggs are perfectly cooked—crispy on the outside and incredibly savory inside. Paired with a tangy mustard sauce, there’s definitely some magic happening here. Plus, the beets are the perfect cold side dish, sweet and tart with just the right amount of crunch. Just like a complicated potion, despite the many steps involved in this magical dish, the end results are definitely worth the wait. Even Neville Longbottom couldn’t mess this up!
What Harry Potter recipes are you most excited to see? I’m a huge nerd at heart, so leave your favorite fictional feast ideas down in the comment section below! I need some more fantastic recipe ideas to try – maybe I’ll pick your suggestion! Even more Harry Potter recipes are coming your way, so make sure you check back every day until July 31st when we celebrate the birthday of the Boy Who Lived!
Copycat Scotch Eggs & Beet Salad from the Leaky Cauldron
Equipment
- deep fryer optional
- magic wand
Ingredients
FOR SCOTCH EGGS:
- 6 eggs whole for boiling
- 3 eggs whisked
- 2 cups panko
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 8 oz hot Italian sausage
- 8 oz breakfast sausage
- 8 oz maple sausage
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
FOR MUSTARD SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or can sub plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
FOR BEET SALAD:
- 3 beets washed & greens removed
- 1 red apple chopped & peeled
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons warmed honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- lettuce leaves for serving
Instructions
For the Beet Salad
- Start by making the beet salad. Thoroughly wash the beets and remove the greens and tips. Do not peel. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray the beets and a baking sheet with olive oil. Roast the beets for at least one hour to an hour and a half until the beets are tender all the way through and the skin peels off easily. The skin will be bubbly, browned, and very easy to remove when the beets are ready. Cool until the beets are no longer steaming.
- Remove the skins from the cooled beets. Then chop the beets and place them into a large bowl. Skin and chop the apple and add it to the beets.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the spicy brown mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Pour over the apples and beets and stir—the apples should turn bright red. Chill and marinate for at least one hour (RECOMMENDED: Make ahead and chill overnight).
Boil the Eggs
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs to your desired doneness. Start with the eggs in a pot with about one inch of cold water covering them. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid. For hard-boiled eggs, leave the eggs in the water for 12-15 minutes. For soft-boiled eggs, leave the eggs in the water for 8-10 minutes. For very runny centers, leave the eggs in the water for 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer to an ice bath, crack shells lightly, then leave in the ice bath until ready to peel. Peel the eggs. Bring eggs to room temperature prior to making the Scotch eggs. (RECOMMENDED: Make the eggs ahead and leave in the ice bath overnight.)
Make the Sausage Patties
- In a large bowl, mix together the sausages until well combined. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4-1/2 cup measuring cup to measure out even portions of the sausage. Place the scoops of sausage between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten the meat with your hands until it is about a quarter-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining meat.
Assemble the Eggs
- Prepare a Scotch egg-making station! In one bowl, add the flour. In a second bowl, add the eggs and whisk. In a third bowl, add the panko, dry mustard powder, salt, and pepper, and whisk.
- Remove the top sheet of plastic from the first flattened sausage patty. Roll a hardboiled and peeled egg in flour, then place it in the center of the sausage patty. Wrap the sausage patty around the egg and pinch the edges closed so that the egg is completely enclosed in sausage. Repeat with the remaining eggs and sausage.
Fry The Scotch Eggs
- Prepare a deep fryer or pot with oil heated to 350°F. To bread each sausage-wrapped egg, first dredge in flour, then roll in the whisked eggs. Let the excess egg drip off, then roll in the panko until completely coated. Repeat with the remaining wrapped eggs.
- Carefully place the eggs in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and the sausage is cooked all the way through—about 7-10 minutes per egg. Be sure to work in batches and to keep flipping the eggs so that they are evenly golden on each side. Remove from the hot oil and let cool for at least 5 minutes to fully set the sausage and breading.
- While the eggs are cooling, prepare the mustard dipping sauce by stirring together the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and spicy brown mustard.
- On each serving plate, use a few lettuce leaves to create a bed for the beet salad. Serve the Scotch eggs with a generous serving of beets and a side of mustard dipping sauce. Enjoy!
