CARAMELIZED PEAR, BACON & GRUYÈRE QUICHE

PIE CRUST:
Mix flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the olive oil until you have a soft breadcrumb texture. Add the water to make the ingredients stick together and form a firm dough, then rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large disk and line an 8″ quiche mold. Prick the dough with a fork. Then, pour the uncooked dry beans onto dough until they cover the bottom to prevent the crust from rising. Pre-bake the pie crust at 350°F for 15 minutes with the beans and 20 minutes without the beans (until the crust is golden brown). Remove pie crust from the oven and let it cool.

FILLING:
Fry bacon in a pan for about 5 minutes. Let cool. Dice and set aside. Peel and cut the pear into quarters. Remove seeds. Then, toss the pears with olive oil and brown sugar. Bake at 350°F for 18 minutes, or until they are lightly caramelized. Remove from oven, let cool, and slice pears into thin slices. While the pears are baking, whisk together the eggs, cream, and minced onions. Add the grated Gruyere cheese and bacon. Season with salt, pepper, and fines herbes.

BUILD THE QUICHE:
Place the caramelized pears onto the pie crust. Pour filling into quiche pan. Bake for 60 minutes at 350°F. The quiche is done when the top is golden, and the filling has solidified with a slight wiggle in the middle. Remove the quiche from the oven. Let cool to room temperature before removing from quiche mold. Serve warm with a side of salad (see salad recipe).

Serves 4 people