Picnic Bacon and Egg Pie

(Serves 6)

Photo: Annabel Langbein

Ingredients

• 3 sheets ready-rolled flaky puff pastry (480g rolled thinly)
• 250 gms bacon, diced
• 3 tbsp chopped soft herbs, e.g. parsley, basil, chives or spring onion tops
• 12 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• grinds of pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200ºC.

Place a flat baking sheet in the oven to heat.

Slightly overlap two sheets of pastry and press firmly to join. Use a rolling pin to roll pastry a little larger so it will cover the base and 4 – 5 cm up the sides of a large tin (about 25 cm x 30 cm).

Sprinkle with bacon, herbs and any other optional additions (such as peas, cooked spinach, sliced tomato and sliced cooked potato).

Use a fork to lightly whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell.

Cut remaining pastry into thin strips and arrange in a lattice pattern on top. Brush pastry with leftover egg from the mixing bowl or a little milk.

Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake 10 - 12 minutes, then reduce temperature to 180ºC and cook until golden and pastry is cooked through on the base, a further 40 - 45 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Pie is best eaten the day it is made.