Before going gluten-free I made wheat-based "sausage" crumbles with gluten (aka seitan or "wheat meat") made from wheat flour, or the q & e - just add water - method using vital wheat gluten. I purchased vital wheat gluten in #10 cans from Homeyville Grain to save a considerable amount over the small boxes found at the grocery store. Some health food stores may also sell vital wheat gluten in their bulk bins. Seasoned it with Breakfast Sausage Seasoning from The Spice House. We also used it as a pizza topping and breakfast meat substitute. I made a number of meat substitutes using gluten and I would also mix gluten with ground meat as a meat extender.

For more information (these two items work best when you purchase them together - the first for the recipes and the second so you can see in the video how to prepare them):

-"The Amazing Wheat Book" by LeArta Moulton

-video "Quick Wholesome Foods" by Rita Bingham & LeArta Moulton

And another possible substitute for sausage are curds made with NON-instant dry milk powder (if you don't have NON-instant dry milk powder available, just whirr INSTANT non-fat dry milk powder in a blender to make a finer powder), white vinegar and hot water. You can season the curds to use as a "burger" or patty-like substitute, or crumbled like sausage crumbles. The recipe is in the Quick Wholesome Foods recipe and instruction booklet.

I would also try cannellini beans (white kidney beans). I find them a fairly good vegetarian substitute for chicken in some recipes I make, and adding some sausage seasoning to them would add the flavor you are missing.

I used another recipe as a ground beef substitute that could easily be made into sausage crumbles substitute:
brown rice
green lentils
Montreal Steak Seasoning
oil
vital wheat gluten
rolled oats

Substitute the steak seasoning with sausage seasoning.

This may be nothing like what you are looking for as a substitute, but they are what I have used successfully. It's often the flavoring you are missing because the texture can be duplicated with any number of plant-based foods.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Quick Wholesome Foods - video

Thanks for the advice. I don't necessarily want a meat substitute....... I don't think you eat them - it's pretty well a picnic / party staple in Britain - a hard-boiled egg, surrounded by sausage meat, breadcrumbed then fried. Eaten cold and very yummy!

Scotch eggs aren't common around here for sure, but we do eat them. I saw them in a grocery store once. They were frozen, just had to cook, but were priced higher than I could justify. Also, most UK-style pubs that I've been to have them on the menu. They're usually what I end up ordering after a couple beers.

I've never made them myself. That's probably because I only really like sausage when I'm drunk. Then it's amazing. A vegetarian/lighter/gluten-free version would be great. Maybe use some kind of lentil and pecan outer layer. Maybe surround the egg with a potato dumpling mixture and then roll it in ground lentils and pecans.. That'd be yummy with au jus or gravy if there's such a thing in vegetarian cuisine.

Why not use one of the soy-based ground meat/sausage subs? Some of them are very good. Sorry, can't remember the name of the last brand I bought, but it was made from organic soy beans.

It was so good, my DH asked me if I was absolutely certain it wasn't ground beef, because neither one of us could tell any difference. We were amazed; I occasionally experiment because we have some friends who are vegetarians so I was trying to adjust one of my usual recipes for them.

Well, if the veg you've used was good, why not just experiment with different versions. It seems to me that the important part would be to make it sticky so it clings to the egg and doesn't fall off in the frying. You can always use raw egg or eggwhite for the sticky. Chia or flaxseed goo might work, too. What do you use with your veg? Just the chickpeas? Or something else?

Chickpeas are rich beans. Perhaps cannellini beans would work, with green beans, sweet onions and turnips. Or red beans with bell pepper, celery and cayenne.

You could do a curry lentil version. Or dried yellow peas, rutabaga (Swede), lemon and thyme.

Just think of anything you can make into a sticky mash, which will have enough flavor when cold, and go for it!

BTW, I've always wondered what the deal was with Scotch eggs. It makes sense for picnics because it's contained and the coating protects the shelled egg. Thanks for the clue. :)

I shall try some of your gret ideas. Thanks