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1
Preheat the oven to 400F.
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2
Tear off a piece of foil twice as large as the crust.
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3
Fold it in half and smear it with butter or oil; lay the greased side onto the crust.
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4
Weight the foil with a pile of dried beans or rice (these can be reused for this same purpose), pie weights, or a tight-fitting skillet or saucepananything that will sit flat on the surface.
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5
Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake at 350F until the crust is a beautiful shade of brown, just a few minutes more.
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6
Remove and let cool on a rack while you prepare the filling.
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7
Meanwhile, put the 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet with a lid over medium heat.
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8
Two minutes later, add the leeks, along with a large pinch of salt and some pepper.
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9
Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
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10
Add the liquid and bring to a boil; cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers.
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11
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very soft, at least 20 minutes.
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12
If a great deal of liquid remains, remove the lid and cook over medium heat until you have a moist but not soupy mass.
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13
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then cool slightly.
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14
Combine the leeks with the remaining ingredients and pile this mixture into the prebaked shell.
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15
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until almost firm and lightly browned on top; reduce the oven heat if the shells edges are darkening too quickly.
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16
Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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17
In step 2, begin by cooking 1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, until crisp.
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18
Remove with a slotted spoon.
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19
Substitute onions (about 4 very large) for the leeks and cook in the bacon fat as directed.
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20
Then proceed to step 3, stirring the bacon in along with the eggs.
