Scotch Eggs

 

Dear Fine Dining Enthusiast

 

I believe this is a known dish to many of you. I went to this wonderful British restaurant in Montreal with some friends of mine. For a very long time I wanted to try scotch eggs and dreamed for like forever to try this dish. I was curious at the taste of it. I always saw it on TV in Britain by famous food critics and wondered what it tastes like. When I saw this dish on the menu, I was super excited. I am sure there are many versions of this dish.

The plate was small, but it was nicely presented and looked very appetizing. It had some meat in it. It was delicious, very balanced flavor.

I usually love balanced dishes where there is flavor.  All the ingredients in this dish marinate together beautifully like in a harmonious symphony. I could feel the meat, the eggs. The texture was not too heavy just right. There was an equal amount of meat and eggs that made this dish exquisite.

 

What are scotch Eggs and their origin?

A scotch egg is a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked or deep fried. There are some debates as to the exact origin of this dish but according to my research bit is a known popular dish served in Britain. It is a popular pub and picnic dish served cold. Some claim that it is originated in Yorkshire. Fortnum and Mason, a London department store known for its food products claims that it created Scotch Eggs in 1738 for wealthy travelers on carriage rides. Looking at a different theory that asserts the dish has evolved from Northern India’s nargisi Kofta (an egg covered in minced meat and served with curry) which returning soldiers and others introduced it to England. There is a third story claiming that it was invented by Scottish farmers as an inexpensive dish. There are many variations of the dish and in USA it is served hot and accompanied by ranch dressing or other dipping sauces. I must admit that the one I ate was warm here in Canada. In Britain this dish is served with a tasty delicious mustard dipping sauce.

 

Interesting Facts about Scotch Eggs

For a while Scotch Eggs were deemed to be an appetizer or snack and only served in British pubs. However, in 2020 British ministers found the dish to dish to be substantial, which changed some of the laws on where it can be served in the pandemic era. This caused a huge surge in Scotch Eggs demands and boosted up the sales, bringing it back as a popular dish.

What does the word ‘Scotch’ mean? Most of us assume that it means it is originated in Scotland. The real meaning of this word is that it comes form a process of boiling eggs and covering them in lie powder to preserve them. This became a necessity in the late 1800 when Scotland was exporting a lot of eggs to London, and that process was dubbed “scotching”.

Did you know that the Dutch and Flemish have their own versions? Yes, they do. Their version is meatball with an egg in it called vogelnestje which means “bird’s nest”. Poland also has one with some added potato and horseradish cream.

 

A little bit about The Lion Burgundy restaurant?

 

The Burgundy Lion is a traditional British Pub with a modern lounge bar that offers a unique twist on British pub cuisine. This is a modern English pub with a traditional English cuisine mixed with a more laid back, quintessentially Montreal feel.

 

The Pub is located in Little Burgundy, an old working class neighborhood in Montreal, stepped in history. Since the 90'S Little Burgundy enjoyed a re-birth since many young professionals love the proximity to the downtown core and its renewed sense of community. 

The restaurant opened in the summer of 2008 and bis constantly adapting to the neighborhood, the city and the industry as a whole. The restaurant has grown both as a pub and as a staff.

 

If you love whisky it is one of their specialty drinks. They have blends, single malts, scotches, Irish whiskies, bourbons, ryes or whiskies of the world. The Burgundy Lion has more than 600 whiskies, the largest collection in Quebec and one of the largest in North America.

 

Where is this restaurant located?

 

Burgundy Lion, 2496 Notre Dame West, Montreal QC.