Falafel Scotch eggs

Makes 8 Prep 40 mins Cook 15 mins

9 large eggs 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rolling 2 large onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp each ground cumin and coriander 400g can chickpeas, drained ½ small pack of coriander, leaves only 200g wholemeal breadcrumbs 5 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting 25g panko or dried breadcrumbs 3 tbsp sesame seeds sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

1 Put 8 eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, cook for 5 mins, then quickly lift out of the pan and plunge in a bowl of cold water to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel.

2 While the eggs cool, put the oil, onions and garlic in a frying pan. Fry gently until soft and just starting to turn golden. Add the spices and fry for a few mins more. Tip into

a food processor and whizz to a paste. Add the chickpeas and coriander leaves and pulse until finely chopped but not pasty. Stir in wholemeal breadcrumbs, flour and final egg, beaten first with a fork, with a good amount of seasoning.

3 Divide the mixture into 8. Take a portion at a time and flatten between your hands (rub your hands with oil if it sticks to your fingers). Roll 1 of your peeled eggs in flour, shake to remove the excess, then wrap falafel mixture around it, completely covering the egg and squishing it together at the joins to seal. Repeat to cover all eggs. Tip the panko or dried breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix in sesame seeds. Roll each egg in it to coat. Can be made a day ahead, loosely covered with cling film and chilled.

4 Half-fill a deep saucepan with oil, or use a deep-fat fryer. Heat until a bit of bread browns in about 30 secs. Add a couple of eggs at a time and fry, turning, until golden and crisp, about 2 mins. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain while you cook the rest of the eggs in batches. Season with a little salt and eat warm or cold, PER EGG 404 kcals, fat 26g, saturates 4g, carbs 29g, sugars 3g, fibre 5g, protein 15g, salt 0.7g