Quiche Lorraine

Sift 200 g flour with a pinch of salt, add 100 g cold butter cut into cubes, and quickly rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Separate the yolk of one egg from the white (set the white aside for step 4). Add the yolk and 3 tbsp ice water to the crumb mixture and quickly bring together into a ball of dough. Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough and line a 24–26 cm tart tin, pressing it up the sides to form an edge. Prick the base with a fork and return to the fridge for another 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line the pastry with parchment paper, fill with baking weights (dried beans or baking beads) and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, brush the hot crust with the reserved egg white, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes until lightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C.

Cut 200 g smoked bacon (or pork belly) into small strips and fry in a dry pan for 5–7 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain off excess fat.

In a bowl, whisk 3 whole eggs with 250 ml heavy cream, add salt to taste, 0.25 tsp black pepper and 0.5 tsp nutmeg, and beat until smooth.

Scatter the fried bacon over the base of the crust and sprinkle with 80 g grated Gruyère. Carefully pour in the egg-and-cream mixture, then top with the remaining 40 g Gruyère.

Bake the quiche at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, until the filling is golden and set but still has a slight wobble in the center. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.