Ingredients
Pastry
- 500 gshortcrust pastry, or 2 sheets ready-rolled
- or make it: 350 g plain flour, 175 g cold butter, 1 tsp salt, iced water
Filling
- 350 gstreaky or middle bacon rashers
- 8eggs
- 1onion, sliced, optional
- 150 gpeas, optional
- 1tomato, sliced, optional
- black pepper
- a little salt
To glaze
- 1egg, beaten, or a little milk
To serve
- cold, cut into squares, at a picnic or a beach
Directions
- Lay the rashers flat over the pastry base rather than chopping them. Use streaky or middle bacon with some fat, since the fat flavours the eggs as it renders. The best defence is blind baking the base for ten to fifteen minutes before filling it.
- Line the pastry with paper and baking beans, bake it, then remove them and bake for a further five minutes to dry the surface. Brushing the hot base with a little beaten egg white seals it further, which is worth doing.
- Use a shallow rectangular tin rather than a deep round one. Lay the bacon over the base, then scatter over any onion, peas or tomato.
- Break some of the yolks with a fork if you want, and leave others whole. Season with plenty of black pepper and only a little salt, since the bacon is already salty.
- Lay the second sheet of pastry over the top and press the edges together firmly. Trim and crimp the edges, and brush the top with beaten egg or milk. Cut two or three slits or a few small holes in the top. Now baking it in a hot oven properly.
- Bake at 200°C for fifteen minutes, then reduce to 180°C for a further thirty to thirty-five minutes. It is done when the top is deep golden and the filling feels set when the tin is shaken gently.
- Let it cool completely in the tin before cutting. Cutting it warm gives a collapsing slice with liquid egg running out, and it needs to set properly. Serve it cold, cut into squares, with tomato sauce alongside. It keeps three days refrigerated and it travels well, which is what it was made for.
Technique
- It is eaten cold rather than hot, which is what it is made for.
- The eggs go in whole rather than beaten, unlike a quiche.
- Whether to break the yolks is a genuine and unresolved argument.
Substitutions
- Ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, which is what most people use.
- Puff pastry for the lid, which is common.
Variations
- With peas and onion through it, which many households add.
- With sliced tomato over the bacon.
- Made with a puff pastry lid and shortcrust base.
History
A fixture of the Edmonds Cookery Book, first published in 1908, and standard fare for road trips, beach days and school fairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bacon and Egg Pie?
Bacon and Egg Pie is a snack from New Zealand: shortcrust pie of bacon rashers and whole eggs, eaten cold at picnics. A fixture of the Edmonds Cookery Book, first published in 1908, and standard fare for road trips, beach days and school fairs.
How long does Bacon and Egg Pie take to make?
Bacon and Egg Pie takes 30 min plus 1 hr chilling of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bacon and Egg Pie?
Yes, within limits. Ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, which is what most people use. Puff pastry for the lid, which is common.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bacon and Egg Pie?
Lay the rashers flat over the pastry base rather than chopping them. Use streaky or middle bacon with some fat, since the fat flavours the eggs as it renders. The best defence is blind baking the base for ten to fifteen minutes before filling it.
