Egg and Ham Pies
Egg and Ham Pies are perfect as a snack, part of a salad meal, or for your lunch boxes, picnics, parties and buffets. Individual cold pies of crisp shortcrust pastry are filled with ham (you could swap in cooked bacon), sweetish onion, and fresh parsley, all set in light and delicate egg.
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COLD SAVOURY PIES
Here in Britain, we do love a savoury pie or pasty. Not just hot, like classic Minced Beef & Onion or homely Corned Beef Pasties & Potato Pasties though. We also have a great tradition of cold pies, most famously the pork pie.
Interestingly, the pastry case on the original pork pies wasn’t meant to be eaten. It was simply a way of making the meat easily transportable by agricultural workers. It was only later that the pastry evolved into an edible crust. My own impressive-looking (but actually quite simple) Picnic Pie with sausage meat, apples, and onions, is in that same tradition of cold savoury pies.
But recently, instead of large pies to be shared, I’ve been coming up with ideas for individual cold pies. Just like my batches of sweet mince pies, baking them in a 12-hole, deep muffin tray gives me conveniently-sized mini pies.
Easier to transport, I think they’re perfect for lunch boxes, picnics, or when travelling. They’re also great when you want a quick grab and go snack or something to pair with salad and pickles for a tasty, unfussy meal.
And I’m so pleased with the very first flavour I’ve created. Egg and Ham Pies made with classic shortcrust pastry.
EASY HOMEMADE SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Complex pastry work is definitely a highly developed skill. But a simple shortcrust pastry, crisp and buttery, really is quick and simple to achieve at home.
I don’t make pastry often, so am certainly no expert. But, out of interest, I once timed how long it took. Gathering and weighing the ingredients then whizzing them in a food processor and squishing into a ball took all of 6 minutes. In the detailed recipe card at the end, you’ll find instructions for making by hand as well as machine and it honestly isn’t that much longer by hand.
The ingredients you’ll need for the pastry are plain flour, a little salt, cold butter, and iced water.
The pastry will need chilling to make rolling out easier, so prepare it first, before the filling. Thirty minutes in the fridge, wrapped in foil or cling film, is usually enough chilling time. But the pastry won’t come to any harm if it’s more convenient to make it further in advance.
FILLING FOR EGG AND HAM PIES
I wanted to keep my first batch of individual cold pies dead simple. So I’ve gone for the classic combination of egg and ham. You could swap in another British favourite, cooked bacon, instead of the ham if you like. I’ve kept the flavourings straightforward too. Just cooked onion, plus parsley, salt and pepper.
To make the filling, start by sautéing the onion in a little butter and oil. Do this over low to moderate heat. You want it to be soft and golden to the point where it’s becoming sweetish, but not darkly caramelized.
When the onion’s cold, you combine it with the other filling ingredients. For the ham, I’ve used the ready shredded ham hock which is widely available these days. But any cooked ham, shredded or finely diced, is fine. If you want to swap in bacon, you’ll need to pre-cook it. Start with about twice the amount of raw bacon as it will reduce a lot during cooking.
Along with the cooked onion, ham (or bacon), in goes the chopped parsley and 5 beaten eggs. There is a tradition of cracking whole eggs into pies but, as we’re making individual ones, that’s not possible. In any case, I like the way that beaten egg forms a lacework holding the other ingredients. Season everything with a little salt (taking account of how salty your ham or bacon is) plus a generous amount of pepper.
MAKING EGG AND HAM PIES
I find it easiest to work with one half of the pastry at a time. So I take it from the fridge, cut in half, and return one half so it stays chilled. On a lightly floured work surface, roll it out thinly: no more than 2 – 3 mm.
Now stamp out 6 circles for the pie bottoms. They’ll need to be large enough to reach the rim when placed in the holes of your deep muffin tray. For mine, that means circles with a diameter of approximately 10 centimetres. I don’t have a cutter that size, so use a wide mug instead. You also stamp out 6 smaller circles for lids: I use my 8-centimetre cutter for those. To get all 12 circles you’ll need to gather the scraps then roll and cut once or twice more.
Now place the larger circles in 6 of the muffin tray holes. Gently press each one down so it sits on the bottom and comes up the sides. Stir the filling to distribute the ham and onion, then spoon some into each pastry case. Don’t fill to the top as the filling will expand as it cooks. Dip a finger into cold water and moisten all around the edge of each pastry case before putting the smaller circles on as lids. Gently press down all around to seal.
Repeat the process with the remaining half of the pastry and filling to give you 12 Egg and Ham Pies in total. If you have any pastry and filling left over, you can keep it and make extra pies when the first batch has been baked. I found I had enough left to make two more, but it will depend on how thinly you rolled the pastry, the sizes of your onion and eggs etc.
I like a shiny glaze on my pies, so brush over another beaten egg. But you can leave this off if preferred. Finally, cut two slits in the top of each pie to let the steam out as they bake.
BAKING, STORING & EATING EGG AND HAM PIES
The tray of pies now goes into the oven, preheated to the temperature shown in the recipe card. It should take 20 – 25 minutes for the pastry to set and become golden brown. If you want a deeper glaze, after the first 15 minutes you can brush on another layer of the beaten egg then return to the oven to finish baking.
When the pies are done, place the baking tray on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to set the pastry. Then carefully remove the pies, using a palette knife if necessary, and place them directly on the rack until completely cold.
If you’re not eating them straight away, Egg and Ham Pies will be fine in the fridge for 3 – 4 days or you can freeze them for a month.
I couldn’t be happier with the way these turned out. The filling is quite light and has a simple, pleasing flavour. Lightly salty ham, sweetish cooked onion, plus the freshness of parsley, all set in delicate cooked egg. Add to that the satisfying, crisp shortcrust pastry and I think these pies are a real winner.
We’ve mainly been eating them for lunch with some raw veg like tomatoes plus pickles. But other half, who travels a lot for work, also packs a few to keep him going on the journey. I think that Egg and Ham Pies would also be perfect for your lunch boxes, picnics, parties and buffets.
If you’ve made this recipe, please do let me know what you thought by leaving a comment and rating.
Egg and Ham Pies
Individual cold pies of crisp shortcrust pastry filled with ham (you could swap in cooked bacon), sweetish onion, and fresh parsley, all set in light and delicate egg.
Perfect as a snack, part of a salad meal, or for lunch boxes, picnics, parties and buffets.
You'll need a 12-hole deep muffin/baking tray in which to cook the pies.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 350 g plain flour (plus extra for rolling out)
- ½ tsp salt
- 175 g cold butter (diced)
- 4 - 6 tbsp iced water
- 1 small egg, beaten (optional: for the glaze)
For the filling
- 10 g butter
- 1 tsp oil (e.g. light olive oil, sunflower oil)
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- salt and pepper
- 100 - 120 g cooked ham, diced or shredded (can be replaced with cooked bacon)
- 5 eggs (beaten)
- 2 heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions
Make the shortcrust pastry
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If using a food processor
Put the flour, salt and butter into the food processor and whizz until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
With the motor still running add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture starts coming together.
If making by hand
Stir the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the butter so that the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add 1 tbsp of cold water and stir it in with a round bladed knife. Continue adding tablespoons of water and stirring until the mixture starts coming together.
-
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth ball.
Flatten into a disc then wrap in foil or cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Make the filling
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Put the butter and oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring regularly, until soft and lightly golden (15 - 20 minutes).
Set aside to cool.
-
Put the cooled cooked onion in a mixing bowl along with the chopped or shredded ham, the beaten eggs and the parsley.
Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.
Make the pies
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Preheat your oven to 200°C /180°C Fan /Gas 6 /400° F with a shelf positioned in the middle.
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Take the pastry from the fridge, cut in half, and return one half to the fridge.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry thinly (no more than 2-3 mm).
Stamp out 6 circles large enough to come up the sides and reach the rim when placed in the holes of your deep muffin/baking tray (approx. 10 cm) plus 6 smaller circles for lids (approx. 8 cm). You will need to gather the scraps and re-roll them to get all 12 circles.
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Place one of the larger circles in 6 of the holes, gently pressing down so it sits on the bottom and comes up the sides.
Stir the filling then spoon some into each pastry case: don't fill to the top as the filling will expand as it cooks. Stir the mixture regularly so the ham and onion are evenly distributed.
Dip a finger into cold water and moisten all around the edge of each pastry case.
Put a lid on each pie and press all around to seal.
Repeat with the remaining half of the pastry and filling.
(If you have any pastry and filling left over, keep it and make extra pies when the first batch has been baked).
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If adding the optional glaze, brush some of the small beaten egg over each pie.
Cut two small slits in the top of each pie to let out steam.
Baking and storing the pies
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Put the tray of pies in the oven and bake until the pastry is set and golden brown (20 - 25 minutes).
Optional: after 15 minutes brush over more of the beaten egg for a deeper glaze then return to the oven to finish baking.
-
When the pies are done, place the baking tray on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then carefully remove the pies and place them directly on the rack.
Leave until completely cold before eating or storing.
Keep in the fridge and use within 3 - 4 days or can be frozen for a month.
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