Traditional Quiche Lorraine

Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness. Line a 28cm tart pan with removable bottom, pressing the pastry into the corners. Trim excess pastry and prick the base with a fork.

Place the pastry-lined pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). This resting period prevents shrinkage during blind baking.

Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with baking beans or dried rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes until the base is lightly golden.

While the pastry is baking, cut 200g of smoked bacon lardons (or thick-cut bacon cut into strips) into small pieces. Cook in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

In a large bowl, whisk together 4 whole eggs until smooth and well combined. The eggs should be at room temperature for the best texture in the final quiche.

Add 200ml of heavy cream and 200ml of whole milk to the eggs. Whisk vigorously until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and homogeneous with no streaks of egg visible.

Season the custard mixture generously with freshly grated nutmeg, a good pinch of salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning—remember that the bacon will add saltiness.

Scatter the cooked bacon lardons evenly over the base of the pre-baked pastry shell. Make sure they're distributed uniformly so every slice will have a good proportion of bacon.

Carefully pour the egg and cream custard over the bacon, filling to just below the rim of the pastry. Transfer gently to the oven to avoid spilling. The custard should not quite reach the top of the pastry.

Bake at 190°C for 30-35 minutes until the filling is just set with a slight wobble in the center. The top should be golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad.