Breakfast Sausage and Cornflake Scotch Eggs

Place 6 of the eggs in a medium saucepan (they should fit in a single layer).

Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover it with a tightfitting lid and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and water.When the eggs are ready, transfer them to the ice water bath using a slotted spoon.

Let the eggs sit until they’re cold, about 10 minutes. Carefully crack and peel each egg. (It’s OK if your eggs aren’t perfectly peeled.) Rinse the eggs under cold water to remove any residual shell pieces and pat them dry with paper towels.

Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.Crack the remaining 2 eggs into a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and lightly whisk with a fork to break them up; set aside.

Place the flour in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine; set aside.

Place the cornflakes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process into fine crumbs (you should have about 1 cup). Alternatively, place the cornflakes in a resealable plastic bag, press out the air, and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the cornflakes into uniform fine crumbs.

Place the crumbs in a second shallow dish; set aside.Divide the sausage into 6 even portions, roll each into a ball, and place on the baking sheet with the boiled eggs.Line a work surface with plastic wrap and have a second sheet of plastic wrap ready.

Place 1 ball of sausage in the middle of the plastic wrap on the work surface and cover it with the second sheet of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll the sausage into a very thin patty about 5 inches in diameter. Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and set it aside.

Place a boiled egg in the center of the patty. Gently pull the edges of the bottom plastic wrap up to enclose the egg in the sausage patty. Pick up the sausage-wrapped egg and use your hands to gently smooth out the surface and patch any holes, making sure the egg is completely and tightly encased in sausage. Return the egg to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining sausage and boiled eggs.Dredge 1 sausage-enclosed egg in the flour. Next, dip it in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drip off. Finally, roll it in the cornflake crumbs until well coated, then gently press to adhere the coating. Return the egg to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep-frying/candy thermometer. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet; set aside.When the oil is ready, add 3 of the eggs. Fry, turning occasionally, until they’re golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining eggs.To serve, cut each egg in half and season the cut sides with salt.

Serve with maple syrup for dipping.