Bacon & leek quiche

Ingredients:

Pastry:
2c flour
125gm unsalted butter
1t baking powder
110ml cold water
Squeeze lemon juice
Pinch salt

Filling:
1 leek
300gm streaky bacon
2T unsalted butter
1T water
4 eggs
½ c cream
½ c milk
1/3 c finely grated parmesan
1T chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper

To serve:
2 handfuls watercress
¼ c shaved parmesan
2t olive oil
1t lemon juice
salt and pepper

Method:

To make the pastry:

Place the flour, salt, baking powder, butter into a food processor and pulse until like fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and lemon juice and pulse until it forms a dough. Be careful not to over mix. Remove from the processor and form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for ½ hour.

To make the quiche:

Heat the oven to 160deg. On a floured bench roll the pastry out to fit a 13 x 35cm tart tin. Allow a few extra millimetres above the edge of the tin to allow for any shrinkage. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Bake the pastry blind by lining the pastry with baking paper and filling with pastry weights. Bake for 10-15 mins until partly cooked.

Remove the baking paper and pastry weights. While the pastry is cooking, prepare the filling by washing the leek and cut into 2cm rings. Melt the butter in a frypan, add the leeks and water and cook until lightly browned on both sides and the water has evaporated. Remove the leeks from the pan and fry the bacon briefly on both sides.

Roll the bacon up and arrange the bacon and leeks in the par-cooked pastry case. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, rosemary and parmesan. Season.

Pour over the bacon and leeks. Increase the oven temperature to 180deg and cook for 25-30 mins until the egg mixture has set. Cool for 15 mins.

Just before serving, toss together the watercress, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil and season.

Remove quiche from the tin and serve with the watercress salad and your favourite chutney.