I have a confession to make: I’ve been neglecting you a bit, dear readers. I know, it looks like there are a good handful of recent posts, but if you look closely you’ll see that I’m cheating. There are nowhere near enough recipe posts. For that, you have my most sincere apologies. The problem is, well, I’m writing this cookbook for new parents. It’s going to be fantastic and useful and everything I ever hoped a cookbook could be (I think), but in the meanwhile I’m left with the actual writing. Creating recipes, testing them (I’ve got about 100 moms & dads signed up to test recipes; if you’re one of them I LOVE YOU), and then writing the stories to go with them. I’m exhausted! Just the thought of creating still more recipes to post here makes me a little tired. Buuut…
I’m not giving up! No-sirree. There will be new recipes here, if it kills me. And until I figure out exactly how I’m going to pull this off, I thought we might try an experiment: Words to Eat By’s first-ever guest post. It’s by Melanie McMinn, an American writer I know based in New Zealand, who blogs at The Frugal Kiwi and in her spare time makes the amazing creations at The Felted Kiwi. This recipe, for a traditional Kiwi Bacon & Egg Pie, is right at home here. It’s quick, it’s satisfying, it’s something you could come home from work and toss together and still make your entire family smile. Hmm, wonder if Harry would eat it.
Without further ado, I give you The Frugal Kiwi. Please leave lots of comments, so Melanie will know you care. And please know that I’m thinking of you, even if I don’t always show it.
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Ever have days you are so tired you can barely see straight, much less cook? This classic New Zealand dish, Bacon and Egg Pie, is perfect for when you are well and truly knackered. With a simple ingredient list and only 5 minutes of active prep time, you’ll be gobbling down some Kiwi kai in no time.
I grew up in America’s Deep South where pie means something sweet. Down Under, pie is more likely to refer to a MEAT pie than a sweet pie. Most meat pies are pastry, meat and gravy- a bit too caveman for my taste. Bacon and Egg Pies are lower on gravy and grease and this recipe has a big helping of veggies to round out the dish.
Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about bacon. If you are in the US, you’ll think of long, skinny strips of meat and fat that you can grill up to a crisp. In New Zealand, that sort of bacon is called “streaky bacon.” I won’t be using that for this recipe.
Kiwis prefer middle bacon– bacon that comes from further up on the pig and is less fatty. If you can’t find middle bacon, Canadian bacon makes a good alternate. You could also use some nice Virginia ham.
Are you a non-pork eater? Skip the bacon and substitute some grated cheese. Either way, she’ll be right.
Rattle your dags* and you’ll be eating your pie in 40 minutes from go to whoa.
Bacon & Egg Pie
courtesy of The Frugal Kiwi
2 sheets of frozen flaky puff pastry, defrosted
about 1 cup Frozen veggies as you prefer
3-4 oz (100g) Bacon, ham or cheese, or to taste
6 eggs or fewer if that’s what you’ve got
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (180-ish degrees C).
Place one sheet of defrosted pastry in a baking pan. I use a round Pyrex one, as the pastry fits reasonably well. Metal bakeware is fine.
Cover the bottom of the pan with frozen veggies. Feel free to use fresh if you have them handy. I prefer the veggie mix with peas, corn, carrots and green beans, but today all I had in the freezer was a pea/corn mix. Also make sure your frozen veggies aren’t too icy/wet or your bottom pastry sheet will be soggy.
Lay your bacon or ham on top of the veggies. If substituting cheese, grate a layer directly over the veggies. Or go wild and use both. I don’t pre-cook my bacon, but you could if that is an issue for you.
Break your eggs over the top of your bacon/ham/cheese making sure the eggs are regularly spaced. I generally do 5 around the edges and one in the middle. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cover with the other sheet of pastry. Crimp edges with your fingers to get a firm seal.
Bake until golden brown- approximately 35 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve. Tomato sauce aka ketchup is the traditional condiment of choice. Makes 4 large servings.
*Note on Down Under slang. A lot of colloquial language is shared between Australia and New Zealand. Many sources will label slang as purely Australian. Complete nonsense, of course.