Roquefort and Walnut Quiche

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for about 1 – 2 minutes on medium heat untille they smell toasted. Add to a bowl and leave to cool. When they are cooled, grind them down to fine crumbs in a food processor. Sieve the flour and the salt in a bowl and add the butter. Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour; it has to look like fine breadcrumbs. Add the walnut crumbs and stir well. Start adding the tablespoons of cold water and mix with a knife until you have a smooth dough. If necessary, use less or more water. Flour your countertop and lay the dough on it. Knead lightly and make a flat circle. Wrap in foil and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Roll out your dough untill you have a circle of about 29 cm in diameter. Line your 23 cm buttered quiche tin with it. Use a fork and prick the bottom. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake the pastry blind for 10 minutes in a preheated 190C oven. Remove the dried beans or rice and the paper and bake for another 5-6 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Make the filling. Add the roquefort, ricotta cheese, eggs, cream, walnut oil, salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse untill everything is mixed but not too smooth. I like to leave some of the roquefort behind so I can flake some in at the end.

5. Scoop the filling into the pastry and pop in the oven for 20 minutes untill the filling has risen. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Serve with a green salad.