Want a delicious brunch dish? Enter stage left my family’s bacon and egg pie recipe.

Now, if you know anything about Kiwis, we love pies. Most corner stores (aka ‘dairies’) have a pie warmer on their counters, there are bakeries around almost every corner and people have definite opinions on them – not to mention they’re available in most petrol stations, warm and ready to pop in a bag.

We’re obssessed. We can’t even pretend to be low-key about it, we’re just obssessed.

One of the best pies (aside from my favourite steak and cheese) is the tasty bacon and egg pie. It’s brunch personified.

Fun fact: the first recorded recipe for a bacon and egg pie appeared in Elizabeth Raffald’s 1769 cookbook The Experienced English Housekeeper. However, the dish surged into widespread cultural popularity as a picnic and household staple during the 19th and mid-20th centuries, becoming deeply entrenched in the culinary traditions of Commonwealth nations like New Zealand and Australia.

We eat it warm or cold for lunch, picnics, or weekend family dinner – and it’s incredibly popular for farmers who would get stuck down the far end of their farms, unable to sneak back to the house for lunch. I counted 18+ pictures of bacon & egg pie exchanged by my Dad and I over the years.

Bacon and Egg Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 sheets of ready-rolled shortcrust or puff pastry (we prefer puff)
• 400g–500g streaky or rindless bacon (chopped or left in rashers) I prefer smoked
• 1 small onion (finely sliced)
• 2-3 vine tomatoes
• Salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper
• 8 to 10 large eggs (6–8 for the filling, 1–2 beaten for binding/custard, 1 for egg wash)

Method

1. Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 20cm–23cm pie dish or springform cake tin.
2. Lay your first sheet or two of pastry into the bottom and up the sides of the dish, leaving a small overhang.
3. Add a layer of bacon (some cooks prefer to lightly pan-fry the bacon first to render excess fat and moisture). Add onions then a layer of tomatoes then season with salt & pepper. Repeat to the level of your dish.
4. Crack your eggs directly into the pastry case. Gently fork a few of the yolks to break them so some egg binds the filling while others stay whole. Season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Place the top sheet of pastry over the pie. Trim the edges and crimp them tightly together with your fingers or a fork to seal. Cut a small steam vent or cross in the center.
6. Brush the top with a beaten egg or egg yolk for a golden glaze. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden brown and the filling is set. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing

Some people add garden peas to theirs – we don’t in my family, but up to you…

I’m off to make my own bacon & egg pie methinks, oooooh or maybe Lolly Cake or date scones…