Cuisine – Picnic pies

Nothing beats a picnic in warm weather. There’s always a little organisation involved in putting together a successful outdoor meal, as you can hardly pop back into the kitchen for a knife, a jar of mustard or extra butter if you’re at the beach or eating under a shady tree in one of our wonderful regional parks.

I was invited to a family picnic at a city beach recently. When we arrived, most of the group were sitting at a picnic table, looking very relaxed. I had taken a huge platter of my famous fresh asparagus rolls, which disappeared in about five minutes flat. Then, all the men in the family disappeared and went to various takeout shops over the road for their favourite takeaways! An easy cop-out I thought, but everyone was happy.

All the best food for picnics is anything that can be eaten in your hands. (Don’t forget to take a pack of cleansing wipes with you.) You do not need to take plates and it is amazing how much better food tastes when you’re eating with your fingers. Sandwiches, wraps, stuffed pita bread and bread rolls filled with delicious deli style food are always great. Be sure to wrap them well so they don’t dry out.

Pies are perfect for a picnic. Bake them ahead and leave them in the baking tin so they are secure and easy to cut when you’re outside with no picnic table or level ground. You can make small individual pies, larger traditional pies or even purchase a pie or two on the way to your picnic.

My favourite has always been a bacon and egg pie, and they are so easy to make, now that we can buy pre-rolled butter puff pastry. My mother made her version really simply – pastry, bacon and eggs. This week’s recipe makes that even tastier and prettier as I have added a thin layer of grated cheese under the bacon and topped the eggs with chopped tomato and lots of garden herbs. And I cut strips of pastry for the top. For vegetarians, you could omit the bacon, and possibly substitute roasted red pepper, or some blanched broccoli.

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Picnic Pie

400g flaky butter puff pastry, pre-rolled
50g tasty cheese (I used pecorino)
6 slices farmhouse-style bacon
8 eggs
4-5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, thyme and basil
2 small ripe tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a baking tray in the oven and heat the oven to 200˚C. The baking tray will heat and the pie can be placed directly on this which helps to cook the pastry base.

Divide the pastry into two, one piece slightly larger than the other. Roll out lightly the larger piece into a 22cm fluted pie tin with a removable base.

Grate the cheese finely and scatter over the base. Remove the rind from the bacon and cut into small pieces. Place these pieces in an even layer over the cheese. Take seven of the eggs and break them one at a time, placing directly on top of the bacon. Take care not to break the yolks. Chop the herbs very finely and scatter over evenly on top of the eggs. Apply salt and pepper liberally and add thin slices of tomato on the herbs.

Cut the remaining pastry into strips and place this on top of the pie, spacing the strips evenly apart. Break the remaining egg into a cup and beat with a fork. Use a little of the beaten egg to seal the pastry top to the base by brushing the underside of the top pastry strips and gently pressing these on top of the sides. Brush these strips with egg to glaze them.

Place the pie into the pre-heated oven on the pre-heated baking tray and cook for 40-45 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove the pie when cooked and allow to stand for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Serves 6-8.