During my childhood, this simple, classic dish was often a weekend feature in winter or on picnics in summer. Thankfully, it's still a hot favourite today and it's truly simple to make. Kids love this no-fuss style of food, especially on lazy picnic weekends.

Ingredients

• 400 gram packet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• milk or beaten egg to glaze
• 6-8 eggs
• 4-6 rashers bacon, diced
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Place the oven rack just above the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan bake). Lightly grease the base and sides of a 20cm round, shallow-sided cake tin or line with baking paper.
2. Divide the pastry into two-third and one-third portions. Roll the larger portion out on a lightly floured bench to a 3-mm thickness or large enough to line the base and sides of the prepared cake tin. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little milk or beaten egg.
3. Crack the eggs one at a time into a teacup and then transfer to the pastry-lined tin. Scatter the bacon and parsley evenly on top. Season with pepper.
4. Roll the remaining piece of pastry out to a 3mm thickness and cut out a 21cm circle. Arrange on top of the pie and press the pastry edges together. Trim with a sharp knife to ensure a neat edge.
5. With any remaining scraps, cut out decorations like leaves, or use small cutters to make shapes to decorate the top of the pie. Use a sharp knife to cut a small cross in the centre of the pastry top. Brush with beaten egg or milk to glaze.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the pastry is well risen and golden and the filling set.

Cooks Tips

Variations:

- Other herbs or herb mixes that are delicious in an egg and bacon pie are: chives in place of parsley, half chives and half tarragon, half tarragon and half parsley, a mix of basil, parsley and tarragon or marjoram.

- Add ½ an onion, peeled and finely diced when scattering in the bacon and parsley.

- Add 1 tablespoon of chopped, well rinsed green peppercorns.

- Use ham, salami or pastrami in place of bacon.

- Add a few anchovies, chopped capers and sun-dried tomatoes.

- Nestle quartered, well-drained canned artichokes around the eggs.

- Use filo pastry in place of puff. Allow 8-9 sheets, each buttered, for the base and 6-8 sheets for the top. Cook at 190ºC for around the same time.

- Breaking the eggs individually into a cup ensures that, should you find a "bad" egg, you will not have ruined the entire dish.

- The pie can be prepared earlier in the day or a full day ahead and cooked later or the following day.

- A more golden pie top will be achieved by using a beaten egg to glaze.

- There's no need to season with salt as the bacon will add sufficient flavour.