Kentish Pie - what an amazing thing!

My hubby used to enjoy this pie when his Mum used to make it and so when I was looking for ideas for the menu planning, he suggested it.

Now he only had a very loose idea of what was in it and the way it was prepared.  It sounded like a quiche, but with bacon, cheddar cheese and apple - but that didn't coincide with his memory of it.  So, following a telephone conversation with his Mum where she put him straight, we had a go at re-creating the elusive Kentish Pie.

Hubby was very hopeful as it was baking, and even more hopeful when it was done.

Upon his first taste of the pie, rolled his eyes heavenwards and declared "that's the stuff!".  Success!

See my piggy? I'm so proud of that piggy.  LOL

All the flavours - bacon, cheese, apple and egg - go so well together and the apple is, of course, the Kentish connection.

You can just about make out each ingredient, in its layers

This pie, quite apart from being delicious with salad, would be absolutely perfect to take on a picnic, or to a barbecue, or out to Glyndebourne.  It wouldn't let you down, wherever you took it, as it is such a robust individual.  Much in the same way as a pork pie, it won't drip down your ball gown and would be so easy to eat from a paper plate with a plastic fork.  Now you don't get that with every pie!

KENTISH PIE  (feeds 6-8)

Ingredients :

Shortcrust pastry, sufficient for both top and bottom of the pie.
8 large rashers (or 12 smaller rashers) of back bacon, grilled and chopped into pieces
200-250g cheddar cheese, cubed small (depending on how strong your cheddar is)
2 dessert apples, peeled and sliced to approx 3mm (I used a Braeburn and a Jonagold)
7 eggs, lightly whisked, plus 1 egg yolk for glazing
3 tbsp double cream
freshly ground pepper.

Method :

Grill the bacon and chop it into small pieces.  Dice the cheese.  Peel and slice the apples.  While all that is happening, you can be pre-heating your oven to 180deg C/350deg F/Gas 4.

Next, lay your first piece of pastry into the bottom of the pie dish and ensure it reaches the top of the sides.  Cut a piece of baking paper, scrunch it into a ball, then open it out and line the inside of the pastry.  Tip some baking beans into the paper to hold it down and prevent the pastry from bubbling as it cooks.

Bake the pastry for 20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and allow it to cool slightly.

Sprinkle the first layer of bacon on top of the pastry, then follow with the cheese cubes and the apple slices.  Repeat until they are all used up.

In a bowl, mix the cream with the eggs, season with the pepper and whisk lightly to combine.  Pour the mixture into the pastry case and give it a little shake to distribute it evenly amongst the contents.

Separate the one egg into a ramekin, saving the yolk and discarding best part of the white.  With a pastry brush, break the yolk up and give it a light mix then brush egg yolk around the edge of the pastry case.

Lay the top layer of pastry onto the pie and press down around the edges to seal it.  Trim off the excess and press a fork or knife into the pastry all around the edge, to make a pretty pattern which also helps to seal it.

Cut a cross into the top of the pie to allow steam to escape (otherwise it may blow the lid off) and adorn your pie with decorations cut from the excess pastry.  I made a little apple, a pig (I was quite proud of my pig) and then got stuck as to how to express "cheese", so settled for a simple "C".  Leaves would probably have done, though!

When you're done being creative, give the whole lot a good egg wash and place it into the oven to bake for some 45-60 minutes.

At the end of the baking time, the top layer of pastry will be slightly domed.  To test that it is done, remove the pie from the oven and insert a sharp knife into the centre of the cross.  If you can't see any liquid egg, then your pie is done.  If there is liquid egg visible, pop it back in for another 10 minutes until it's done.

Leave it to cool and eat warm or at room temperature.  After a half hour or so, it is perfectly possible to remove it from its pie dish, which helps it to cool more quickly.

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