Scottish Egg

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1-2 scallion pancake wrapper
• 1-2 cheese slice
• 1-2 bacon slice

Method

Soft-boil the egg to a jammy centre. Bring cold water to a rolling boil, add the egg, and cook for 6 minutes — this gives you a set white and a runny yolk, which will stay creamy through frying. Transfer to ice water immediately; the thermal shock halts cooking. Once cool, peel carefully under running water, starting at the wider end where the air pocket makes separation easiest.

Layer the wrappings in order of increasing surface area. Cheese first: press a slice (or two, overlapped) around the peeled egg, sealing any gaps with your fingers — the cheese will soften and help bind the next layer. Wrap bacon around the cheese. Position it so the slices overlap and cover the egg evenly; bacon contracts as it cooks, so slight gaps now will close. The bacon layer also prevents the egg from splitting during deep-frying.

Cut the scallion pancake wrapper lengthways into two long strips (discard the short ends). Lay them horizontally, overlapping slightly in the middle, to create a diamond shape. Place the wrapped egg at the centre and fold the corners up and over, sealing with a dab of water where the dough overlaps. The dough creates a crispy shell that insulates the bacon and cheese from the oil — without it, the fat renders straight into the cooking medium and you lose textural contrast.

Heat oil to 160°C. Test by inserting a chopstick: bubbles should form immediately and rise steadily. At this temperature, the dough crisps without browning too fast, and the bacon renders gently without toughening. Slide the egg in and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the wrapper is deep golden and the surface feels firm and waxy to the touch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel for 30 seconds.

Alternatively, air-fry at 160°C for 12 minutes, turning at the 6-minute mark — you sacrifice some bacon crispness but eliminate oil splatter and achieve a cleaner result. Rest for 2 minutes before cutting. The yolk should flow freely when you split it open.