Let’s talk about something I think we can all relate to — food crushes. Yes, you heard that right! I’m talking about dishes that get you hooked on a specific restaurant. They make my taste buds dance and keep me coming back for more. For me, most of the time, it’s not a fancy five-star dish that I develop a crush on. Nope. It’s more often soul-warming comfort food at a local joint I just can’t quit. It’s that one dish that cranks up the joy meter to a full hundred every time I get my hands on it.
So, I’m sharing my go-to food crushes around town, hoping you’ll fall in love too. Up next? The Scotch Egg on the brunch menu at Tradition.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting and devouring a Scotch Egg just yet, let me give you the scoop. At its most basic, it is an (ideally) soft-boiled egg wrapped up entirely in sausage, then breadcrumbs, and either fried or baked. A perfect example of simple ingredients coming together for a sum greater than the parts. It can be served hot or cold.
I was curious about the origin story of this delicious little bite. For something so small, I found a lot of controversy about the when and where of it. You’ll find articles titled “The Contentious History of the Scotch Egg,” “The Mysterious Origins Of Scotch Eggs,” and even the scandalous “Are Scotch eggs really Scottish?” from The Guardian. I did not know the tea I was in for doing a basic Google search. Basically, it boils down to:
- Maybe it was invented by a luxury London department store in the 18th century.
- They could have been created as sophisticated food for the wealthy swells or a traveling snack.
- It might have been imported from India. The Indian dish Nargisi kofta is, at heart, a boiled egg inside a meatball. And we know there is a complex relationship between Great Britain and India.
- It may have originated in Yorkshire, with fish paste taking the place of the sausage.
- Or it was born in North Africa with more spices and came via France.
- There is a fun little debate about whether the “Scotch” was originally “scorch” from when eggs were cooked over a naked flame.
- But most agree Scotch Eggs are not really from Scotland.
Now that we’ve cleared that drama… Let’s discuss why the Scotch Egg at Tradition is so incredibly crush-worthy. Made with local sausage, the egg arrives piping hot in all its glory to the table pre-sliced—for maximum shareability and also to show off the jammy yolk. Instead of fine breadcrumbs, Panko is used for a bonus crunch factor. And finally, it is served with house-made mustard aioli and a lightly dressed arugula salad.
The sausage coating is a classic breakfast sausage with sage and fennel and tastes just a touch sweet (a nice nod to brunch). The breadcrumbs come out crispy, and the sausage creates a perfectly juicy casing for the soft egg while being entirely portable for easy eating. It is like eggs and sausage and toast, all in one bite. I slather the mustard aioli all over my half. And drizzle it on the arugula to boot.
The guy I mostly hang out with claims that Scotch Eggs and warm maple syrup are a match made in heaven. I’ll have to sneak some in the next time I come by since I can’t detect a hint of maple syrup on the Tradition menu. I looked.
I really like the brunch menu at Tradition as a whole, but I could happily make an entire brunch out of the small plates alone. The last time I was there, I got their famous Orange Rolls with a classic cream cheese glaze, a not-so-classic lavender, and (the best part) candied orange. I also got their Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower made up of cooked Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, a pistachio vinaigrette, and finely shaved parmesan. I walked away, totally happy with that trio of dishes.
Remember, the Scotch Egg is only found on the brunch menu, so be sure to go on the weekend if you want to try it yourself!
If you go:
Tradition
501 East 900 South
Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm
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