Crust:
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice water
Custard:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch grated nutmeg
4 oz smoked deli ham, diced
2 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch fresh asparagus
Make Crust:
Place flour, salt, and sugar in bowl of food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse 10-12 times until butter and shortening are evenly distributed in pea sized pieces. Turn processor to "on" and add water 1 tablespoon at a time, just until it forms a ball of dough. Turn out onto a floured countertop and roll out to a 12 inch circle. Roll up dough onto the rolling pin and then unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and dock the bottom with a fork. Place crust in the freezer while the oven preheats to 375.
When oven is heated, place parchment or foil into the cold crust and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 15 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil or parchment. Bake 5 minutes more until very light golden brown.
Make Custard
While the crust bakes, whisk eggs, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. Bend one asparagus stalk until it snaps. Discard the bottom end that snapped off, and use the snapped spear to cut the remaining stalks to the same length. Discard the bottoms. Cut the stalks into half inch pieces, and place in a medium bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle the ham, cheese, and asparagus evenly into the hot crust, then pour in the custard. You may have extra custard, depending on the deepness of your pie pan. Discard any extra. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, until center registers 170 degrees. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes. Can be served immediately or cooled and served at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate leftovers, return to room temperature to serve.
Comments