SERVES: 3–6
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) lamb
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
40 g (1½ oz/½ cup) soft breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To finish
6 hard-boiled eggs
1 egg white
1 egg
100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) dry breadcrumbs
oil, for deep-frying
Dukkous al-Tamat, to serve, optional
Combine the lamb with the onion and pass it through a meat grinder twice using a fine screen; alternatively, process to a paste in a food processor, using a steel blade.
Turn the mixture into a bowl and add the parsley and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper and knead to a fairly soft paste. Divide into six equal portions.
Shell the hard-boiled eggs. Beat the egg white and egg in separate small bowls; spread the breadcrumbs on a small plate.
Coat the eggs with the beaten egg white. Shape a portion of the meat paste around each egg, moulding it on smoothly.
Now brush the meat-coated eggs with the beaten whole egg, then roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat.
In a large saucepan, heat about 10 cm (4 inches) of oil to 160°C (320°F) or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 30-35 seconds. Deep-fry the meat-coated eggs, cooking for 5–7 minutes in all, and turning to brown evenly. Do not have the oil too hot, or it will brown the outside before the inside is cooked.
Cut in half and serve hot with Dukkous al-Tamat, if desired, or cold with salad
