Put 6 of the eggs in a large pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Leave for 5 mins, 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 mace, thyme, 75g of the breadcrumbs, 1 remaining egg and some ground pepper, and mix together well youll probably need to get your hands in.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas
Criss-cross 2 long strips of baking parchment in a 20cm 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 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 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 the final egg, lightly beaten with a fork. Scatter with the sesame seeds, then bake for 30 mins.
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 mins to brown the sides of the pie.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then serve in chunky wedges.
