Cheese and bacon quiche with fennel pastry

Equipment

• Bowl
• Rolling bin
• Flan tin, greased and lined
• Baking beans or dried pulses
• Frying pan
• Baking sheet

Ingredients – pastry

• 200g plain flour
• 50g polenta
• 125g unsalted butter, cubed and at room-temperature butter
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt – a pinch
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• About two 4 to 5 cm sprigs of fresh fennel, finely chopped. If you can’t obtain fresh then add a teaspoon of fennel seeds
• A little water to bind the dough
• Mild olive oil for frying

Ingredients – filling

• 4 medium eggs
• 30g grated strong cheese
• 300ml double cream
• 6 rashers of Pancetta or smoked streaky bacon
• Salt and pepper

Method – pastry shell

1. Heat your oven to 160C (fan) or about 180C conventional
2. Put the baking tray in the oven
3. Rub the butter into the flour
4. Mix the rest of the ingredients in, and then add in a little water, half a teaspoon at a time until the dough starts to bind together
5. Squash the dough down into a disk shape and chill in the fridge for 10 mins
6. Grease and flour the flan tin
7. Fetch the dough out of the fridge and roll out on a floured surface to about 3mm thick
8. Line the flan tin with the pastry, lifting the edges up to ease the pastry into all the corners. Press down lightly so that the pastry fits the shape of the tin
9. Prick the base all over with a fork and line it with baking paper. Fill with the baking beans or dried pulses
10. Put the prepared pastry case in the oven, and cook for about 14-15 mins
11. Remove the beans/pulses and baking paper and return to the oven for another couple of minutes to ensure the base is crisp
12. Remove from the oven.  Trim the excess pastry from the flan case with a sharp knife
13. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling

Method – filling

1. Slice up the bacon/pancetta into thin strips and fry in the oil until just crispy. Drain and cool on a piece of kitchen paper
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper until just combined
3. Pour this mix into the cooled flan tin and sprinkle over the cheese and fried bacon/pancetta – agitate this slightly to that the cheese and bacon/pancetta are evenly distributed through the flan
4. Place the flan in the oven and bake for about 20 – 25 mins until slightly browned
5. Can be served warm or fully cold

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