Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • ¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt (for pastry)
  • 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, very cold, cubed
  • 3–5 Tbsp Ice Water
  • 4 oz Smoked Streaky Bacon (or lardons), diced
  • 5 oz Fresh Spinach, or 50g frozen, thawed and squeezed
  • 5 oz Gruyère Cheese, freshly grated
  • 4 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream (Double Cream)
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt (for filling)
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Pinch freshly grated Nutmeg

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Dough: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Drizzle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork.
  2. Chill: Form the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Roll, Fit, and Dock: Roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully drape it into a 9-inch tart tin, press gently into the sides, trim the excess, and prick the base all over with a fork (docking). Freeze the lined tin for 15 minutes.
  4. Blind Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the pastry shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then return the shell to the oven for another 5–8 minutes until pale golden and dry. Set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C).
  5. Prepare Fillings: Sauté the diced bacon until crisp and drain thoroughly on paper towels. Wilt the fresh spinach (if using), transfer to a towel, and squeeze firmly to remove all excess moisture. Roughly chop the squeezed spinach. Grate the Gruyère cheese.
  6. Layer the Solids: Scatter the cooked bacon, squeezed spinach, and grated cheese evenly over the bottom of the prepared, blind-baked pastry shell.
  7. Make the Custard: In a separate bowl, gently whisk the eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and the pinch of nutmeg until just combined. Do not over-whisk. Carefully pour the custard mixture over the fillings inside the pastry shell.
  8. Final Bake: Bake for 40–50 minutes at 325°F (160°C). The quiche is done when the edges are set and the centre has a slight wobble.
  9. Cool: Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This allows the custard to finish setting completely.