Recently, my husband claimed that he could eat at a pub every day, and I agreed. At the time we were in London during a long layover and went to two of our favorite pubs. Of course, he was referring to gastro pubs, which are known for their great food as well as the full array of beverages, complete with that wonderful pub ambiance, which suits us. The pubs we’ve loved are rustic yet comfortable; you almost feel like you’ve time-travelled to the 1800’s. Plus, they allow dogs.

We have eaten our way through pubs in England, Wales, Ireland, North Ireland, and Scotland, and have never been disappointed. Of course there’s fish and chips, but also fabulous fish dishes, beef Wellington, savory pies, risottos, stews, and much more.

In all those pubs in all those years, I’ve never ordered a Scotch egg. Maybe because they’re deep fried? Or maybe I didn’t really know what they were. But recently I’ve learned more about how good they really can be, and found a Nigella-recommended recipe for them, using an air fryer!

From Ms. Lawson: “This is a throwback to one of the first dishes I made in my first ever kitchen job. Shoutout to the Scotch eggs of The Queen’s Head Inn, Bromsgrove, that I’d make time and time again back in 2011. I wish we’d had an air fryer to speed up the process for equally delicious results.” Ms. Lawson’s wish came true! Below is the recipe that I’m using, that a reader of hers submitted. Her name is Poppy O’Toole, and is featured in The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook, published by Bloomsbury.

The story of the origin of the Scotch egg is a long one, but surprisingly, it originated in England in the late 19th century, not Scotland as one would think. Instead of sausage, a fish paste was used to encase the egg. That might be good, but I’m glad sausage became the default layer.

Nigella suggests serving Scotch eggs with picalilli and crisps, so that’s what I did.

I learned recently that in Scotland they’re sold chilled.

Scotch Egg
Makes 4

4 whole eggs (plus 2 extra, beaten)
1 pound sausagemeat
½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups panko breadcrumbs
salt and ground black pepper

Heat the air fryer to 130℃/270℉. Put the 4 whole eggs in the air-fryer basket and cook them for 9 minutes, which will be just enough to soft-boil them. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice-cold water.

I used 5 eggs because I’ve never used the air fryer in this way. I also don’t have a “bake” setting so I used “reheat.” I figured the temperature was the most important thing for this step.

Once the time is up, transfer the eggs to the icy water and leave to cool (about 5 minutes). Peel the eggs and set aside. Before using, dry the peeled eggs with a paper towel. (I tested one egg to see if it was indeed on the softer side.)

In a bowl, mix the sausagemeat, dried herbs and garlic powder with your hands until it forms a paste-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Gather three bowls. Season the flour and tip that into one bowl. Add the beaten eggs to the second, and the breadcrumbs to the third.

Using one quarter of the sausagemeat mixture, mold the meat around one of the boiled eggs as evenly as possible, aiming for the same thickness all the way around. Repeat so that all the eggs are covered in sausagemeat. (I air fried two at a time, just for testing purposes.)

Heat the air fryer to 180°C/350°F. One by one, dip the wrapped eggs first in flour (dusting off any excess), then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs to coat fully.

Put the eggs into the air-fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through and the coating is golden. I did use the “air fryer” setting for this step.

The Scotch eggs are fabulous! Twelve minutes in the air fryer is the perfect amount of time. They’re crispy, flavorful, and the egg is soft inside. Best served warm.

Since I made these eggs, I’ve actually enjoyed Scotch eggs at Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen, a recently opened restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The lighting was terrible, but the eggs were a relevation. Perfectly cooked eggs, lined with sausage, and a thin crunchy crust, served on a shaved Brussels sprouts salad a Dijon vinaigrette. Really lovely.