Put the flour, butter, egg yolk & 4 teaspoons of cold water into a food processor & using the pulse button, process until the mixture binds.

Empty onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a ball & roll out as thinly as you can then line a loose bottomed fluted flan tin, pushing the pastry lightly into the grooves. Trim the edges so that the pastry sits a little above the edge in case of shrinkage, then lightly prick with a fork & chill for 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees & line the pastry with foil, shiny side down & fill with baking beans or uncooked rice & bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil & beans/rice & bake for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is pale golden. If there are any holes or cracks, patch up with any left over pastry trimmings, keep the oven on.

Heat a small frying pan & cook the lardons then drain. Cut the cheese into small squares & spread the lardons & the cheese over the bottom of the pastry case. Now place the creme fraiche into a bowl & mix for a few minutes to smooth then beat in the cream a little at a time, mix in the eggs & the marinade then pour this mixture into the case.

Keeping as flat & as level as possible place into the oven, lower the temperature to 190 degrees & bake for around 25 minutes or until set. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. 

NOTES

You could of course buy the pastry but still follow steps to cook the base or you can now buy already cooked pastry bases.