Bacon and Leek Deep-Dish Quiche

Place the chilled dough between 2 large pieces of parchment paper and roll it out into a 16-inch circle. Place the dough circle in a 9-inch springform pan, and press it into the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill.

Using a fork, prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust all over. Line the crust with non stick foil. Leave a 4-inch overhang and fill the crust with baking beans. Chill again for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 °F.

Bake the crust initially for 15 minutes. Remove foil and baking beans and cover the edges with foil to ensure they don’t brown. Return to the oven and bake for a further 8 - 12 minutes. until it is a light golden color. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 325 °F.

Place 6 chopped slices of bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook while stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Remove most of the bacon drippings from the pan, but leave 2 tablespoons. Add 2 large sliced leeks to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Sauté gently for 6-7 minutes until soft.

Add 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves and continue sautéing for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

Whisk 6 large eggs, 2 cups of cream, 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of mustard, ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper together in a bowl. Mix in the Gruyère, parsley, and cooked leeks.

Scatter the cooked crispy bacon on the bottom of the baked crust. Pour the egg mixture on top.

Bake the quiche until just the egg filling is just set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center. A knife inserted into the center should come out with no trace of runny eggs attached. Cooking time is around 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Serve warm.