Bacon and egg pie

This is a delicious pie that makes the most of the winning partnership between egg and pork. I love the way the whole eggs are hidden beneath the crust – if you get one when you cut into it, it’s like winning a prize. Serve this hot for supper or cold for lunch.

Paul Hollywood's egg and bacon pie. Credit: Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds

• serves

  6

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Rich shortcrust pastry

• 275 g plain flour
• Pinch of fine salt
• 135 g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2–3 tbsp cold water

Filling

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200 g unsmoked streaky bacon, diced
• 200 g pork loin, cut into roughly 1.5cm dice
• 5 medium eggs
• 100 g cream cheese
• 100 g mature Cheddar, grated
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• Beaten egg, to glaze
• Salt and pepper

Resting time for pastry: 30 minutes

Allow at least 15 minutes cooling time after cooking pie

Instructions

1. To make the pastry, put the flour in a bowl. Add the diced butter and rub in lightly with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, do this in a food processor or a mixer and then transfer to a bowl.

2. Mix the egg with the lemon juice and water. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the egg mix. Using a table knife, work in just enough liquid to bring the pastry together. When the dough begins to stick together, use your hands to gently knead it into a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and put in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes.

3. For the filling, heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for about 8 minutes, until soft.

4. Add the bacon and pork, increase the heat a little, and cook for about 10 minutes, until any liquid from the meat has been driven off. Leave to cool completely.

5. Heat oven to 200°C/gas 6 and have ready a 20 cm loose-based cake tin, 4 cm deep.

6. Beat two of the eggs with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cheddar and chives and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooled bacon mixture.

7. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use to line the cake tin. Roll out the remaining pastry ready to form the lid.

8. Put the filling mix into the pastry case. Make 3 evenly spaced depressions in the filling and crack the remaining eggs into them. Brush the rim of the pastry with egg and place the lid on top. Press the edges to seal and trim off the excess neatly. Brush the top of the pie with egg and make a steam hole in the centre.

9. Bake in the oven for 50–55 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the pie to settle for at least 15 minutes before cutting. It is delicious hot or cold.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.