The bacon and egg pie is a savoury pie consisting of a crust containing bacon, egg and sometimes

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

, mushrooms, bell peppers,

peas The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

, fresh herbs and cheese. It is popular in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. However, bacon and egg pie originated during the middle ages in Cornwall and is still a popular pie cooked in Cornish homes today (although rarely found in Cornish bakeries). For many Cornish people, a bacon and egg pie is more of a taste of home than the famous Cornish pasty. Bacon and egg pie may be served with

ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and tangy flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among o ...

, which can be combined with Worcestershire sauce and drizzled over the filling before the pie is baked and some versions have a rising agent such as

baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas ...

mixed into the egg to make a fluffier filling.

Composition

The pie is often constructed with

shortcrust pastry Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) flan. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken ...

or other stable base crust. The crust is usually topped with a pastry lid, but is sometimes left open. A bacon and egg pie differs from a quiche, most notably due to the absence of cheese and

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...

and the presence of an upper crust. Also the eggs are not beaten and are whole, or at the most yolks pierced. The pie also tends to have a heavier texture and feel, and is generally high in calories. Although the bacon and egg combination is not unique to any country, its use in modern cooking is notable in New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Recipes for it have been found as early as ''

The Experienced English Housekeeper ''The Experienced English Housekeeper'' is a cookery book by the English businesswoman Elizabeth Raffald (1733–1781). It was first published in 1769, and went through 13 authorised editions and at least 23 pirated ones. The book contains s ...

'' in 1769.

References

Bacon dishes British pies English cuisine New Zealand pies Savoury pies Australian pies National dishes Egg dishes {{pie-stub

Composition

See also

References