Sausage and Egg Pie

This is a childhood favourite and was always served with (Heinz) baked beans and mash. I still make it today, and it is very, very simple to cook. Always use good quality sausages - I like the Saints & Scholars brand from Sainsburys or the Paul Rankin sausages from Waitrose, both being Irish-type sausages with the flavouring familiar from home.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 packet ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 packet good quality sausages
• 3 eggs, beaten
• large pinch mixed herbs (I use an Italian mix, with rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil)
• handful fresh chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 C/ Gas mark 7. Grease a pie plate with butter or margarine.
2. Fry the onion until translucent and set aside.
3. On a floured surface, roll out half the puff pastry to cover the bottom of the pie plate.
4. Skin the sausages and spread the meat evenly over the pastry base.
5. Add the cooked onion, mixed herbs and parsley to the beaten egg then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Roll out the remaining half of the pastry, ensuring it is bigger than the pie plate.
7. Give the egg mixture another whisk to ensure all the ingredients are well distributed and pour over the sausage base. Cover with the pastry lid.
8. Seal the edges of the pastry with cold water and crimp the edges to prevent leaking. Trim off any excess pastry.
9. Beat an egg yolk and using a pastry brush, glaze the top of the pie.
10. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until the pie is golden and well risen. Avoid the temptation to open the oven door during the cooking period as this can cause the pie to sink.
11. Serve hot, ideally with baked beans and potato mash.

*When I was a kid, George Best advertised Cookstown sausages in Northern Ireland, so this is a good excuse to post a picture of him in his prime!