Scotch woodcock is a traditional British dish consisting of soft scrambled eggs served over hot buttered toast, typically garnished with a layer of anchovy paste or whole anchovy fillets, and sometimes finished with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper or chopped parsley.
The dish gained prominence in the 19th century as part of the classic English supper or breakfast table and was historically popular as a savory course at formal dinners.
Despite the name, it contains neither Scotch whisky nor woodcock (the bird); the nomenclature imitates "Welsh rarebit," another dish involving toast. Scotch woodcock remains associated with historic British institutions, including the House of Commons and certain Oxbridge colleges.