Egg And Bacon Picnic Pie Food

BACON AND EGG PIES

Steps:

• Begin by making the pastry by sifting the flour and pinch of salt into a large bowl, holding the sieve as high as possible. Now add the lard and butter, cut into smallish lumps, then take a knife and begin to cut the fat into the flour. Go on doing this until it looks fairly evenly blended, then begin to rub the fat into the flour, using your fingertips only, and being as light as possible. As you do this, lift it up high and let it fall back into the bowl, just long enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few odd lumps here and there. Now sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water in, then, with a knife, start bringing the dough together. Then discard the knife and, finally, bring it together with your fingertips. When enough liquid is added, the pastry should leave the bowl fairly clean. If this hasn't happened, then add a spot more water. Now place the pastry in a polythene bag and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. Next, hardboil 2 of the eggs by placing them in a small saucepan and adding enough water to cover them by about ½ inch (1 cm). Bring the water up to simmering point and put a timer on for 7 minutes. Then, when the time is up, cool the eggs rapidly under cold, running water for about a minute, and leave them in cold water till they're cool. Meanwhile, grill (or fry) the bacon gently until the fat begins to run and pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C). Roll out half of the pastry, on a lightly floured surface, cut out 12 rounds using the 3½ inch (9 cm) cutter and line the patty tin. Now peel and chop the eggs quite small and chop the bacon fairly small, too, Then divide the egg and bacon among the pies and season with freshly milled pepper and a very little salt. Beat the remaining egg together with the milk and carefully pour the mixture into the pies, allowing it to settle as you go. Dampen the edges and roll out the rest of the pastry to cut out the smaller rounds for the lids. Make a small hole in the centre of each pie, brush the tops with milk, then bake for 10 minutes. After that, reduce the heat to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C) and cook for a further 25 minutes.

EGG AND BACON PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt and Fairy in the bowl of a food processor and process until it just resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and process until dough just starts to come together. Do not over process. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Flatten into a 20cm disc, wrap and chill for 90 minutes.
• Grease a 22cm spring-form pan. Roll out the dough into a circle about 36cm diameter. Press the pastry into the pan, ensuring the pastry comes to the top of the pan, trim any excess pastry, gather into a ball, wrap and chill. Prick the pastry case with a fork, cover and chill for 90 minutes.
• Line the pastry case with baking paper, ensure the paper comes up the sides of the pan and weight down with a bag of dried penne pasta or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan-forced and cook for a further 10 minutes. Cool and remove the paper and pasta or beans.
• Melt the Fairy in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek, thyme and bacon and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the leek is softened. Season with black pepper, cool slightly.
• Increase oven temperature to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Scatter the bacon and leek over the base of pastry case. Whisk 2 eggs and the reserved egg white with the sour cream, stir through the tasty cheese and pour over the bacon mixture. Make small indentations in the bacon mixture and carefully crack the remaining 7 eggs into the indentations. Top with the remaining cheeses.
• Coarsely grate the reserved chilled pastry over the top. Place onto an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C /160°C fan-forced and bake for a further 30 minutes or until golden and eggs are cooked through. Scatter over the extra thyme and serve warm or cold with a rocket leaves.

SPICY BACON-AND-EGG PIE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together flour and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until pieces are the size of lima beans. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until dough comes together (anywhere from 4 to 8 tablespoons). There should still be flecks of butter left in the dough. Shape dough into two evenly sized discs and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour before baking. (Dough can be made up to 1 week ahead.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc to a 12-inch circle. (Leave the other disc in the fridge.) Transfer rolled dough to a 9-inch pie plate; trim and crimp edges. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prick bottom of pie with a fork. Line with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil or paper and pie weights or beans. Bake until pale golden and dry to the touch, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Evenly scatter half of the bacon and half of the scallions on bottom of pie. Carefully crack 8 eggs over mixture, distributing them evenly around pie with their yolks intact. Season eggs generously with salt and pepper. Whisk together 5 tablespoons heavy cream with Sriracha and ketchup. Use a teaspoon to dollop it on top of the eggs and then sprinkle with remaining bacon and scallion.
• Lightly flour the counter. Roll out remaining disc of pie dough until 1/8-inch thick (it should be thinner than the previous dough round). Trim into 10-inch circle. Carefully place on top of the pie, pressing the edges into the side of the pie, if possible. There should be no overhang and the dough should fit almost perfectly. Use a fork to whisk together yolk from remaining egg and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Brush top of pie with egg wash and cut 4 shallow slits in the middle of the top crust (don't go deep, you don't want to puncture the eggs). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes for serving.