Bacon and Egg Pie is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner – and because it’s also delicious served at room temperature, it makes ideal picnic fare. Best of all, the ingredients will be on hand in a well-stocked fridge.
I was introduced to this pie by Janni Kyritsis, who makes his own pastry. I take a shortcut with a ready rolled product that’s always in my freezer. Not being a pastry expert, I find it easiest to handle if I roll it out between pieces of baking paper. I use chives because they’re in my herb garden, but any soft herb – such as parsley, chervil, thyme or French tarragon – works just as well. And I love to serve it with a glass of Traviati Rosso, a lovely soft red from Beechworth.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
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- 450g shortcrust pastry, rolled
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- butter, for greasing
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- 10 eggs
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- 1 x 200g piece pancetta or bacon*
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- 2 tablespoon chopped chives
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- salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Place a 23cm springform cake tin upside down on top of the pastry and cut around it to create a pastry circle. Place the circle on baking paper and refrigerate until needed.
Butter the tin.
Roll remaining pastry to about 30cm square and use to line the cake tin, folding pieces over each other as needed and leaving any long bits hanging over the edges. Refrigerate until needed.
Whisk one egg and set aside.
Slice pancetta/bacon thinly and cut into matchsticks. Place in a frying pan over high heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until crisp.
Distribute half the pancetta/bacon over the base of the pastry and scatter half the chives over the top.
Break remaining eggs on top, so that yolks are evenly distributed in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Scatter remaining pancetta/bacon – and any fat – and chives over the top.
Pour over most of the whisked egg, leaving just enough to brush over the pastry.
Gently press pastry lid into the tin on top of the filling. Fold the overhanging sides of the pastry over the lid.
Cut a few slits into the lid to allow steam to escape.
Brush with remaining beaten egg.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C and cook for a further 35 minutes or so, until golden and crisp.
Set aside in the tin to cool.
Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.
* I prefer pancetta to bacon as I find it crisps up quicker, but you can use either.
Roberta Muir is a food, wine and travel consultant, writer and cookbook author. Visit her website for more recipes and insights.
Also read: Potatoes Dauphinoise
