Put 6 of the eggs in a large pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Leave for 5 minutes, then lift out eggs and cool under cold running water. Peel.
Snip the ends of the sausages and squeeze the meat out into a mixing bowl. Add the nutmeg, thyme, 75 g of the breadcrumbs, 1 of the remaining eggs and some pepper, and mix together well – you’ll probably need to get your hands in.
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Criss-cross 2 long strips of greaseproof paper in a 20 cm pie tin or round cake tin (to help you lift out the pie). Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured surface to line the tin. Scatter the remaining breadcrumbs over the base of the pastry, then pat in about a quarter of the sausage mixture. Evenly space the peeled eggs on top, then gently pack the meat around and over – trying to evenly cover the eggs without leaving any gaps.
Roll out the remaining pastry, cover the pie, then trim the edges. Pinch and crimp edges to seal, poke a steam hole in the top, then glaze with egg.
Scatter with the sesame seeds, then bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and carefully remove it from the tin. Place on a baking tray and return to the oven for 10 minutes to brown the sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then serve in chunky wedges.
Serves 6-8
