Arugula and Bacon Quiche

Don't worry - we threw some asparagus into this bacon quiche recipe so you can (almost) feel virtuous about having seconds.

Crust:
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) butter, chilled, cut into ½” pieces
3 Tbsp. solid vegetable shortening, chilled, cut into small pieces

Filling:
6 bacon slices, cut into ½" pieces
½ cup shallots, chopped
8 oz arugula, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped (~ 5½ cups)
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup whipping cream
3 large eggs
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
¾ cup Gruyère cheese, freshly shredded (~ 2½ oz)

For the Crust:
Blend flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in enough ice water to form moist clumps. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes. Roll out dough on floured surface to a 12" round. Transfer to a 9"-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to 1". Fold overhang in and press, forming double thick high-standing sides. Pierce crust all over with a fork. Freeze crust 30 minutes.

Make-Ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Bake crust until golden brown, piercing with a fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes. Transfer crust to a wire rack.

Reduce temperature to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

For the Filling:
Cook bacon in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and drain. Add shallots to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add arugula and sauté until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add balsamic vinegar; toss to combine.

Sprinkle arugula mixture, then bacon over crust. Whisk cream, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in cheese. Pour mixture into reserved crust.

Bake quiche until filling is slightly puffed and golden, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Makes 6-8 servings.