Leek and bacon tourte

Melt a little butter and sweat the thinly sliced shallots about two minutes, until translucent.

Add half the finely sliced leeks on very low heat, incorporate them into the butter, then add the rest.

Add a little water, put the lid on and slow cook the leeks 30 minutes on very low heat.

Stir the flour into the cooked leeks.

Add the cream and the milk in equal amount and stir well.

Season with salt, a few pinches of nutmeg and a little cayenne pepper.

Cover and cook 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile flash fry the bacon pieces until golden, turn the heat off and reserve them.

Turn the heat off, stir the bacon into the leeks, then stir the beaten egg in gently.

Leave the filling to cool at the side of the stove. Preheat the oven to 410F, 210C, and take the dough out of the fridge.

Butter the pie dish all over with a brush, then sift flour evenly over it and turn out the excess.

Roll out a disc larger than the dish, lay it over and tuck it in, leaving an overhang to fold over the edges; trim it with a knife.

Prick some holes in the base.

Pour in the cooled filling.

Brush the edges with egg so the lid sticks, lay the second slab on and trim it.

Seal the edges in all round so the pie steams from the inside and nothing overflows.

Cut a chimney in the middle, and pastry decorations if you like.

Brush the top gently with egg wash.

Bake at 210C for 30 to 40 minutes.

Cut it open: the filling here is wet -- he says his measurement may have been too humid or it did not cook enough, and that he should have reduced it more.