Grease the tin lightly with butter and lay the rolled-out pastry into it. It needs to line not just the base but also come up the sides in a good high edge, so the filling doesn't leak out. Prick the base all over with a fork, lay a sheet of baking paper on top and fill it with baking beans.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 200°C. After that, remove the baking paper and beans from the pastry case and bake for a further 5 minutes or so. Take it out of the oven and let it cool. The base is now ready to be filled.

Finely chop the onion. Cut the bacon into small cubes. Trim the asparagus – you just need to snap or cut off the dried-out end of each stalk.

Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan and fry the onion and bacon until crisp. When it's almost done, add the asparagus stalks and toss briefly, just enough to lightly brown them on all sides.

Mix the cream with the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add the finely grated cheese, then pour this mixture over the pastry base.

Arrange the pieces of asparagus over the quiche – they'll sink nicely into the cream and egg mixture. Finish it off by scattering the onion and bacon mixture over the top; again, it will settle into the filling.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 190°C for 35–40 minutes, until the top of the quiche has set and turned golden. Let it cool slightly before slicing – it's tricky to cut while piping hot. Serve with a spoonful of seasoned soured cream and a salad, or simply on its own.