3239. SAVORY EGG CUSTARD with BACON, LEEKS and ASPARAGUS

serves 3-4 


approximately 1/2 teaspoon butter for the dish
2 slices thick-slab bacon, diced
1 medium leek, cleaned; white and light green parts only, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 bunch asparagus, woody stems snapped off and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about a cup)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (or a combination of fontina and mozzarella or a Swiss cheese, such as Gruyere or Comte)
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/8 teaspoon salt
fresh pepper to taste
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a large pie dish, place on a cookie sheet and set aside.

Dice the bacon and cook in a saute pan over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan onto a towel-lined plate and let cool.

While the bacon is cooking, clean, dry and dice the leek (white and light green parts only) and cook it in the bacon drippings. (You only need about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, so if you have more than that in the pan, pour it off before cooking the leeks.) When the leeks are just beginning to brown, scoop them out of the pan and spread them evenly across the bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle the cooled bacon pieces over the leeks.

Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus spears and chop the spears diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces. Spread the asparagus pieces over the bacon and leeks. Grate the cheese and set aside

Make the custard mixture: whisk together the eggs, milk and cream thoroughly. Whisk in the salt, freshly-ground pepper and nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture into the pie plate, sprinkle with the cheese. Cook the egg custard until golden brown on top and just firm in the center, about 30-40 minutes.

Cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.


bacon recipe source: Carol Sacks, In Medias Recipe, April 28, 2013