This bacon and egg pie is great for Sunday brunch and indeed left over for Monday lunch at work!

I made this recipe about three or four years ago on tv and, of all the things I’ve made, it must have been one of the most talked about. Did you just crack the eggs right into the pastry? Yes. Did you not cook the pie pastry first? No.

It is a real winner for taste and just as we like it, a simple supper through and through.

Bacon and egg pie

1 tbsp of summer harvest rapeseed oil

8–10 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

9 free-range eggs

4 tbsp of whole milk 

1 pack of ready rolled shortcrust pastry

Salt and freshly ground  black pepper

(Use an 8-10 inch pie dish)

1 To make the filling, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan.

2 Cut the bacon rashers in half and fry them over a medium heat for 3 minutes, turning them once, until the fat is golden and crisp.

3 Remove the bacon from the heat and leave to cool.

4 Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

5 Pop a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat it through.

6 Line your pie dish with the pastry and leave a disc for the top.

7 Scatter the bacon loosely over the pastry case.

8 Gently break six of the eggs into the pastry case, spacing them evenly between the bacon rashers.

9 Beat the remaining eggs with the milk and plenty of salt and pepper.

10 Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the pastry case, stopping every now and then to allow them to find a way between the whole eggs and the bacon. Leave some in the bowl for glazing the top of the pie.

11 Take the lid for the pie. Brush the edge of the pastry case with the beaten egg and milk and gently lift the pastry lid over the filling.

12 Press the edges firmly to seal, then trim. Use a fork to firmly seal the edge all the way around and then brush the top with the remaining beaten egg to glaze.

13 Bake the pie in the preheated baking tray for 35-40 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through.

14 Test by piercing the centre of the pie with a sharp knife – the filling should be just set. If it’s still runny, put the pie back in the oven for a few minutes.

15 Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.