Squash & Sage Quiche

For the pastry:

• 250g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 120g butter, cubed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

• 300g butternut squash or pumpkin (roughly a small squash)
• 15g fresh sage leaves
• 300ml double cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 100ml milk
• 150g comte cheese, grated

For the pastry:

1. 1. To make the pastry sift together the flour & salt into a large bowl
2. 2. Add in the cubed butter & use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
3. 3. Next, add the egg yolk to the bowl & stir this through
4. 4. Then add the water to the bowl 1 tbsp at a time until, using just enough to bring the dough together
5. 5. Shape the dough into a flattened disc, wrap in cling film & leave in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes
6. 6. Once the pastry has chilled, roll out to approximately 3mm thick and use it to line the base & sides of a 23cm tart tin, leave any excess to hang over the edge of the tin
7. 7. Use a fork to pierce holes in the bottom of the pastry case before lining with baking parchment & fill this with baking beans
8. 8. Place the tart case back in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes
9. 9. Once chilled, blind bake the pastry case for 15 minutes at 180°C
10. 10. Remove the baking beans & parchment & return the case to the oven for a further 5 minutes, until it starts to turn golden
11. 11. Remove the case from the oven & whilst still warm, use a sharp knife to trim away off any excess pastry before setting aside to cool

For the filling:

1. 1. To make the filling, begin by preparing the squash. Peel the squash, cut in half & remove the seeds before chopping half of the squash into cubed chunks & the other into strips (approx 1 inch in thickness)
2. 2. Place the squash onto a baking tray, drizzle over some olive oil & season before roasting in the oven for 15-20 minutes until tender but still holding its shape, remove & set aside to cool
3. 3. Next, set aside a few of the sage leaves for later & roughly chop the rest
4. 4. Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan until beginning to sizzle then add the sage leaves & fry for 1 minute, set aside
5. 5. Whilst everything is cooling, make the base of your quiche. In a large jug or bowl, combine the double cream, eggs, nutmeg, milk & grated cheese & whisk until smooth
6. 6. Add the fried sage leaves, along with any remaining butter in the pan to the base mixture
7. 7. Add the cubed chunks of squash to the mixture & stir everything together
8. 8. Carefully pour the filling into the pastry case
9. 9. Finally, add the sliced squash on top of the quiche, along with the reserved sage leaves
10. 10. Bake the quiche at 170C for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is starting to colour along the edges & the quiche is just set in the middle (give it a shake to test, it should have a nice wobble to it)
11. 11. Allow the quiche to cool completely before removing from the tin & serving