Serves 8
200g plain flour
100g butter, cold and cubed
100g cheddar, grated
4 medium eggs
Pinch salt
100g chorizo, cubed
1 tbsp. olive oil
200g asparagus
150ml whipping cream
Sweet paprika
6 sprigs’ worth thyme
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Using a hand mixer, blend the flour, butter, half the cheese, 1 egg and the salt. Briefly knead the mixture into a pastry dough. Grease an 8in quiche tin with a removable base and dust it with flour. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry so it’s about 12in in diameter. Line the quiche tin with the pastry, prick it all over with a fork and let it stand for 30mins. Meanwhile, fry the chorizo in the oil for about 4mins. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, blanche it in boiling salted water for about 3mins, then refresh. Bake the pastry blind on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 15mins. Combine the cream and remaining eggs. Stir in the remaining cheese. Add the paprika and most of the thyme, and season. Pat the asparagus dry and spread it over the pastry. Scatter over the chorizo and pour in the cream mixture. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 35mins. Cool for 5-10mins before garnishing with the remaining thyme and serving.