Pascal Rigo's Blue Cheese, Pear, and Pecan Quiche

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cheese blue crumbled
• 10 tablespoons butter unsalted frozen cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 0.5 teaspoon caraway seeds lightly toasted
• 0.5 cup crème fraîche 
• 1  eggs lightly beaten
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 12 servings optional: lemon for juicing
• 0.5 teaspoon juice of lemon fresh
• 0.5 cup milk 
• 2  pears very ripe
• 0.8 cup pecans toasted
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
• 1  round steak with removable bottom
• 0.8 teaspoon salt 
• 1  pie crust dough chilled (recipe below)
• 0.3 cup water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• plastic wrap
• hand mixer
• rolling pin
• tart form

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Core, stem, and slice pears lengthwise, but keep the peels on. Spritz pear slices with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
3. Remove and uncover the chilled Pâte Brisée tart shell, and sprinkle blue cheese and pecan halves into the bottom of the shell. Arrange the pear slices in a radial pattern over the nuts and cheese.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, creme fraiche, egg, anise, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
5. Pour the milk mixture over the tart filling.
6. Bake immediately until just set, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes to allow the filling to set before serving.
7. Pâte Brisée
8. - makes one 11-inch tart shell -
9. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour and salt.
10. Add the cold butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, about 1 minute.
11. Add egg, cold water, and lemon juice and continue mixing just until large lumps form. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, gather the mixture together. Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough gently, just until it holds together, about 30 seconds.
12. Place the dough on a large sheet of parchment paper and shape dough into a flat disk. Cover disk with another sheet of parchment, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
13. Keeping the chilled dough sandwiched between parchment, roll the dough out until it's no more than an 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer the pastry to the metal tart pan, and trim the excess pastry by running your rolling pin over the top edge of the pan. Using a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the tart shell. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving.