Quiche Lorraine with dry-cured streaky bacon

To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a bowl and with your fingertips rub together until it begins to look like breadcrumbs. Add the thyme, salt and onions and work for another minute. Add the water and bring together to form a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove the pastry from the cling film and on a floured surface roll out to a 2mm thick circle, big enough to cover a 20cm x 5cm tart ring. Line a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper and place the 20cm ring on top. Roll the pastry around your rolling pin, then gently lay it on top of the ring. Work the pastry into the base of the ring before trimming off any excess. Refrigerate for another hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Remove the lined ring from the fridge and cover with greaseproof paper. Place a layer of baking beans on top of the greaseproof paper, place in the oven and blind bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper; leave to cool.

To make the cheese filling, mix all the cheeses, bacon and seasoning together in a bowl. Place the cheese mix into the cooked pastry case.

To make the custard, crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and pour in the milk and cream then whisk together. Pour the custard over the cheese mix in the pastry case until it’s 1cm from the top of the pastry.

To make the bacon topping, cut a circle of greaseproof paper the same size as your tart tin. Lay out 4 slices of bacon on greaseproof paper and weave another 4 slices through them to create a lattice. Gently turn over the greaseproof paper and place it on top of the custard in the tart tin. Peel the paper off leaving the bacon lattice on top of the quiche.

To cook the quiche, pre-heat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 3. Place the quiche in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the custard has set and the streaky bacon is golden brown. Stand for 20 minutes at room temperature, then slice and serve.