Ingredients:
For the Shell: Make and pre-bake or buy and prepare a pie shell.
Filling
16 stalks asparagus – Raw if slim stalks. I prefer to just peel stalks if they are thick but some prefer to Very lightly blanch 2-3 minutes if stalks are thick then shock in icy water.
8 ounces bacon (Optional) cut into 1/2-inch pieces (original recipe)
2 Lg Handfuls baby spinach (Optional)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4-6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Directions:
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
If the pie shell has been previously baked and cooled, place it in the preheating oven for a few minutes to warm it, taking care that it does not burn. Because ingredients in the variations that follow are bulkier, the amount of custard mixture has been reduced to prevent overflowing the crust.
FOR THE DOUGH:
Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in food processor. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat with flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, using folding motion to mix. Press down on mixture with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if it will not come together. Shape dough into ball, squeezing two or three times with hands until cohesive, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.
Remove dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 10 minutes if dough has chilled for 30 minutes or 20 minutes if it has chilled overnight. (The dough should be pliable. Use your hands to squeeze the dough; if you can squeeze it without applying too much pressure, it is ready to roll.) Roll dough on lightly floured work surface or between two sheets plastic wrap to a 12-inch disk about 1/8-inch thick. Fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of pie pan. Unfold dough. Alternatively, roll dough in 2-gallon zipper-lock bag to a 12-inch disk about 1/8-inch thick. Cut away top of bag. Grasping bottom, flip dough into pie pan and peel off bag bottom.
Working around circumference of pan, press dough carefully into pan corners by gently lifting dough edges with one hand while pressing around pan bottom with other hand. Trim edge to 1/2-inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is about 1/4-inch beyond pan lip; flute dough in your own fashion. For quiche or tart pans, lift the edge of the dough, allowing the extra dough to flop over the sides. Then run the rolling pin over the top of the pan to remove excess dough. Next use your forefinger and thumb, press the dough evenly up the sides from the bottom to increase the height of the rim. Refrigerate pie shell for 40 minutes and then freeze for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Press doubled 12-inch square of parchment paper inside dough shell; evenly distribute 1 cup or 12 ounces ceramic or metal pie weights over foil. Bake, leaving foil and weights in place, until dough dries out, about 17 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights by gathering sides of foil and pulling up and out. For partially baked crust, continue baking until lightly golden brown, about 9 minutes more; for fully baked crust, continue baking until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes more, depending on your oven. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
FOR THE FILLING:
Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat or bake in oven until crisp. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate. Wash asparagus and spinach and set aside to drain. If your asparagus stalks are slim, then trim to fit into your pie or quiche/tart pan. They should have stalks at outer edges and tips will meet in the center, like a pinwheel. If the stalks are thick, either peel or briefly blanch them, by dropping into a pot of boiling water for one minute and remove to a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, remove to drain. At this time, I also trim stalks off spinach. An optional step. Meanwhile, whisk all remaining ingredients except cheese in medium bowl.
Spread cheese and bacon evenly over bottom of warm pie shell and pour in 1/2 of the cream filling then set shell on oven rack OR on counter near oven door and then carefully place on oven rack. Pour in custard mixture to 1/2-inch below crust rim. Then lay your trimmed asparagus stalks in a pinwheel pattern, tips facing into the center. Bake until lightly golden brown and a knife blade inserted about one inch from the edge comes out clean, and center feels set but soft like gelatin, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer quiche to rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
