Open Picnic Pies

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 tbs. olive oil

½ bunch spring onion, white and pale green sliced

6 rashers of bacon, finely chopped (For vegetarian, replace with equivalent amount of vegetables)

200g mushrooms, finely chopped

250g spinach or silverbeet, shredded

½ cup cream

Pinch a cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

16 sheets of fillo

70g butter

6 tbs. relish

40g Parmesan, freshly grated

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Carefully lower the eggs in and cook for 5 mins. Remove from heat and cool under running cold water. Peel.

Heat oil in a large pan and add the spring onions and bacon. Sauté for 4 mins until golden then add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms begin to sweat, turn the heat up and allow the excess liquid to evaporate. Now add the spinach, cream, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook until the cream thickens.

Brush four 11cm diameter loose base flan tins with butter. Lay 1 sheet of fillo pastry on a bench (cover remaining fillo with a tea towel). Brush with butter. Continue to layer 8 fillo sheets, brushing each with butter. Make another stack with remaining pastry.

Using a 19cm plate as a guide, cut 2 circles from the pastry stack. Press pastry circles into 2 of the prepared flan tins, allowing the pastry to evenly overhang the sides. Repeat to line remaining 2 flan tins with pastry.

Add a tablespoon of the spinach mix into each flan, a dollop of relish then carefully nestle the egg in the centre. Divide the remaining spinach around the egg, keeping the top of the egg exposed. Fold edges over filling, pleating to form a border. Brush with a little more butter and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.