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A summertime picnic in the U.K. might include Scotch eggs, which are hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage that are breaded and then fried.
The recipe below is a vegetarian version of this dish, with a falafel coating for a Middle Eastern flare. To cut down on preparation time, the recipe uses boxed falafel mix. It also relies on jammy eggs — ones with a center that falls halfway between soft-boiled and hard-boiled.
The combo of the moist egg and the savory chickpea coating was an instant hit with my family, especially when they dipped them in or drizzled them with tahini sauce. You can use other favorite Middle Eastern, Arab and Israeli sauces as well.
One egg can serve as an appetizer, or two as a main course. You can eat them whole or sliced. You can add them to a pita sandwich or serve them on salad. See the recipe for sauce and garnish suggestions.
Israeli Eggs — Eggs in Falafel
Makes 8
- 8 large boiled eggs (see below)
- Falafel Coating (see below)
- Vegetable oil
- ¼ cup flour or gluten-free flour mix
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- Sauces and garnishes (see below)
Have the eggs peeled and at room temperature. Roll Falafel Coating into 8 equal balls. Place on oiled plate.
Mix flour, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika in bowl. Roll egg in flour mix. Shake off excess. Oil hands. Flatten falafel ball and place in palm. Place egg in middle. Pat and wrap falafel to totally encase egg. Roll in hands until smooth. Place back on plate. Repeat.
Fill a deep saucepan halfway with vegetable oil (enough to cover eggs). Heat to 350-360 degrees on a deep fry thermometer or until a bread cube sizzles and turns golden in 20-30 seconds.
Fry 2 eggs for about 3½ minutes until a deep golden brown, adjusting heat as needed. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.
Add oil if needed. Bring back to temperature. Repeat to fry remaining eggs.
Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with sauces and garnishes. The eggs can be refrigerated overnight, brought to room temperature and reheated in a 350-degree oven.
Boiled eggs: Leave in shell. Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Lower eggs into water with slotted spoon. Return to boil. Cook, covered, 7 minutes for jammy (loose but not runny) centers. (Cook 5-6 minutes for looser centers, or 9 minutes for harder ones). Immediately plunge eggs into ice water. (Cooked, chilled eggs can be refrigerated a week). Peel chilled eggs. Bring to room temperature.
To peel, tap the wide end to crack, then tap and crack the narrower, pointed end. Roll to crack all around being careful not to press too firmly. Start at wide end, using thumbnail to pry off pieces from under the membrane between shell and egg. Rinse to remove shell fragments.
Falafel Coating: Mix 2 cups of commercial, packaged dry falafel mix with 1½ cups water (or follow package directions). The amount of mix should be equal to making about 18 balls each 1¾-inch in diameter). Let sit 1 hour until mix can be shaped into 8 balls that hold their shape and are not dry or wet and sticky. (If needed, add 1 tsp. flour/gluten-free flour mix or ½ tsp. water at a time.)
Sauces and garnishes: Dip in tahini, garlic-lemon sauce, labneh or yogurt if eating the egg whole. If sliced in a pita sandwich or cut in half atop salad, drizzle with any of those and/or amba (Iraqi-Israeli mango sauce), zhug (Yemeni hot sauce) and harissa (North African hot sauce). You can also sprinkle paprika, za’atar, chopped tomatoes and finely chopped parsley or cilantro.
For a tahini sauce recipe, see this. For garlic-lemon sauce, this. For zhug and harissa, here.