Coronation Quiche

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ¾ tablespoons cold butter, diced
• 1 ¾ tablespoons lard, diced
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, divided
• 2 medium sized eggs
• ⅔ cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3.5oz cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup cooked spinach, chopped
• ½ cup broad beans, ready cooked

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the pastry crust, first sieve the flour and the salt together into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add the diced butter and the lard, and proceed to rub the mixture between your fingertips until the fats are combined with the flour and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of milk to the bowl, and combine everything until a dough is formed. Cover the pastry and place it into the fridge for at least half an hour to chill.
4. Remove the pastry from the fridge, dust a clean surface with a little flour, and then roll out the pastry using a rolling pin to roughly ⅛ inch thick. Then, carefully transfer the pastry to an 8-inch quiche tin, trim the edges, and then place the pastry back into the fridge for at least half an hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Remove the pastry from the fridge, cover it with a layer of baking paper and then fill it with baking beans. Blind bake the pastry crust in the oven for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. In a clean bowl, beat together the eggs with ½ cup of milk, the cream, the chopped tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove the baking beans and baking paper from the pastry case, and transfer half of the grated cheddar to the base. Then add the cooked, chopped spinach and the broad beans.
8. Pour the liquid mixture into the pastry crust, and then top with the remaining cheese. Bake the quiche for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is mostly set with the middle still wobbling slightly. Remove the quiche from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.