Tunisian garlicky chickpea soup (Lablabi)

1. Bring the drained chickpeas to the boil with the water, half the garlic (whole) and the salt and simmer for 20 minutes until very soft and the liquid is slightly cloudy.

2. Pound the remaining garlic with half the cumin and a pinch of salt to a paste in a mortar and stir it into the soup.

3. Tear the bread (preferably day-old) into small pieces and divide among 4 deep bowls.

4. Slide the eggs one at a time into the hot soup and poach for 3-4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.

5. Ladle the chickpeas with plenty of broth over the bread, put a poached egg on each and top with a teaspoon of harissa, a little cumin and a drizzle of olive oil.

6. Serve with a lemon wedge; everyone stirs their bowl before eating so the yolk and harissa mix into the broth.

Tip: Lablabi is the cheap, filling breakfast of Tunis's working-class districts, ladled out in small lablabi shops. Dry bread soaks up the spicy broth, so don't use fresh. With canned chickpeas it's ready in 20 minutes, but with dried chickpeas (soaked overnight) it's even tastier.