Black Fire Scotch Eggs

Scotch eggs are a traditional British picnic food made by coating a hard-boiled egg in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, then baking or deep-frying the lot. The decadent morsels are a common sight at British-style pubs around the world. But beware the “Black Fire” version of this comfort food, as it packs hidden heat.

In fact, the Black Fire Scotch egg houses two surprises underneath its breaded coating. First, it adds black pudding to the meaty layer. Just as a diner starts to savor the richness of this traditional blood sausage, however, they might detect the first notes of heat. That’s from a chutney based on Scotch bonnets, chile peppers with a spice level similar to habaneros.

One might think the peppers hail from Scotland, but the name is a misnomer. Scotch bonnets hail from the Caribbean. Their name is a reference to their appearance, which resembles a Scottish hat known as the tam o’ shanter.