LET’S start with the kicker: everything tastes better fried.

This is an indisputable truism, a culinary analogue to the sky is blue. Even so, I was prepared to ignore it for the sake of a clean stove.

I got a hankering for Scotch eggs over the holidays, and soon I was dreaming about perfectly cooked velvety eggs encased in savory, salty, fatty sausage meat, then deep-fried until crisp and golden.

A staple of pubs and English picnics, Scotch eggs aren’t difficult to make. The deep-frying, however, can be messy. Usually I don’t mind getting the kitchen dirty in the name of good eating, but I had only just scrubbed the last bits of holiday caramel off the stove and wasn’t in the mood to muck it up again with splattering oil. So I tried broiling the eggs instead.

Most Scotch egg recipes call for breakfast-sausage meat. I wanted a punchier flavor, so I picked up some spicy Italian sausages and added more bite with garlic and horseradish.