(Photo credit: Jerry Coyne)

See my last post for the reason for this digression from politics, history, current events etc into recipes. However, though it’s only been a few minutes since my first recipe post, it appears to be very popular. I may have to do more of them!

In New Zealand, meat pies are a perennial favourite, usually mince and cheese or steak and kidney. When I was a kid I didn’t take to meat pies. I’ve didn’t like any type of offal so steak and kidney was out for me. As for mince and cheese, in the past they were often full of fat, gristle and jelly. They’re not like that now, but I never got the taste so I’m a very unusual New Zealander in that I don’t eat mince pies.

I’ve always been a fan of bacon and egg pies though, even when that’s all they contain. However in my opinion, bacon and egg pies are much improved by the addition of other ingredients. My late father always made an excellent bacon and egg pie, so most of my ideas come from him. Cooked potato, d=for example, makes a surprisingly tasty addition.

Bacon and Egg Pie

Ingredients

* 2 sheets flaky puff pastry
* 8-12 eggs
* 6-8 rashers bacon, rind removed
* 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 cup frozen mixed veges (whatever combination you like best)
* 2-4 cooked potatoes, chopped
* seasoning to taste

The quantity of ingredients depends on the size of your pie dish. The pie I made for Jerry was in a 20 cm/8 inch square dish. It had 8 eggs and six rashers of bacon.

Method

Base
1. Preheat oven to 180° C/350° F.
2. Spray pie dish with non-stick spray or grease well with margarine or butter.
3. Roll out pastry on well-floured board. Place in dish so it covers the base and sides of the dish. Trim off excess pastry.

Filling
4. Break half the eggs into bottom of dish. Don’t break the yolks, but it doesn’t matter if they do break.
5. Lay half the rashers of bacon across the eggs. Chop the bacon into smaller pieces if you prefer.
6. Spread potatoes, tomatoes, onion, mixed veges into dish.
7. Lay rest of bacon on top.
8. Keeping one egg aside, break the remaining eggs onto the bacon.
9. Break the last egg into a cup and whisk well. Pour most of the last egg into the pie but keep enough to spread onto the top of the covering pastry. (You won’t need much.)

Top
10. Roll out the second sheet of pastry and use it to cover the pie. Press down well all around the edge using a fork and trim off the excess.
11. Prick multiple holes in the top sheet of pastry with the fork.
11. Spread the beaten egg all over the pastry.
12. If you’re feeling artistic, make some shapes to stick to the top. Spread beaten egg on them too.

Cooking Time

The cooking time depends on the size and depth of the pie. The one in the picture above (20 cm/8 inches square, 5 cm/2 inches deep) took about 1 hour 15 minute at 180° C/350° F. Keep an eye on it from about 1 hour.

This pie is also delicious cold. In fact, I usually make it the day before to take on picnics. It keeps well in the fridge too in a airtight container and can be frozen for up to three months. I sometimes cut it into serving-size pieces and freeze the pieces separately.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about this recipe in the comments.

 


 

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