Why it works: Egg and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 88,785 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Bacon and Egg Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 190°C (370°F or gas mark 5).
Divide the pastry into two equal portions, roll it out, and line a 20 cm (8‑inch) oven‑proof dish with one portion.
Fill and assemble
Combine the bacon and eggs, then mix in any seasoning or herbs.
Pour the egg mixture into the lined dish.
Moisten the edge of the pastry then cover the dish with the second portion of rolled‑out pastry. Seal the edges.
Make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape.
If desired, the pastry can be brushed with a beaten egg or milk to improve the browning.
Bake
Bake for about 35–40 minutes in the preheated oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Pastry | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Pepper + milktop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Egg + peppertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 50,580 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Shortcrust pastry
- Forms the sealed case and crust that holds the filling together.
- Streaky bacon
- Adds fat and savoury flavour that seasons the set egg filling.
- Eggs
- Set during baking to bind the bacon into a sliceable filling.
The step that matters
Sealing the pastry edges. A poor seal lets the egg filling leak and run out during baking, leaving the pie dry and the base soggy. Moistening the edge helps the two layers of pastry stick together.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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