Scotch Eggs

I am not having a cholesterol test any time soon.

While these sausage-wrapped eggs are usually served cold in the middle of the day, I like them hot and for breakfast.

The Book of Afternoon Tea has the wonderful idea of making them with quail eggs, which are about a quarter the size of regular chicken eggs.

When you make them this way, the finished product is about the size of a chicken egg, and you feel much less guilty about eating it. I get quail eggs at 99 Ranch, a wonderful Asian supermarket that has every specialty Asian food item you could wish for, plus an outstanding bakery. If you use regular eggs, the recipe makes four.

True Scotch eggs are deep-fried, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. They cook more evenly in a fryer, and only take about 4 minutes. You can also substitute crushed corn flakes for the bread crumbs.

8 quail eggs

8 oz raw, unseasoned breakfast sausage

1 Tb chopped fresh chives

salt and pepper

2 Tb flour

1 C white bread crumbs

1. Hard-boil the eggs: Place in a pot of cold water to cover by 1". Bring to a full boil, then shut off heat. Cover and let sit for 8 minutes. Drain, then cover with cold water again to stop the cooking. Shell eggs and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine sausage, chives, and salt and pepper. Divide into eight 1 oz patties.

3. Coat each egg with a thin layer of flour. Mold one sausage patty around the egg and seal all the edges. Roll in bread crumbs.

4. Cook eggs in a skillet over medium heat until the sausage is fully cooked. Turn frequently to avoid burning.

Makes 8

Difficulty rating  :)