Notch a picnic favourite up a level by adding soft herbs, chilli jam and red onion rings.

Recipe and photo: Emma Boyd

Serves: 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets flaky pastry
12 eggs
150ml cream
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
250g streaky bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons chilli jam
1 red onion, sliced into rounds

METHOD

Heat oven to 200°C and grease a loose-bottomed cake tin with butter. Line the bottom and sides with the pastry and press to seal the seams. Put 5 of the eggs into a bowl (save a little egg white to brush the pastry with before baking) and whisk together with the cream, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and herbs.

Scatter one-third of the bacon onto the pastry, dot over one tablespoon of the chilli jam, then pour in the egg and cream mixture. Add another third of the bacon and another tablespoon of the chilli jam, and then crack in the remaining eggs, ensuring the yolks stay whole. Scatter over the remaining bacon and the chilli jam, followed by the onion rings.

Crimp the excess pastry around the edge of the pie with your fingers to create a scalloped edge. Brush with the remaining egg white and cook for 15 minutes before turning down the oven to 180°C and cooking for a further 45 minutes or until set in the middle. Enjoy either hot or cold.

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