Instructions

1. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness and use to line your loose bottomed flan tin. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge until firm to the touch at least half an hour. Wrap and chill any leftover pastry to use for repairs. Heat the oven to 200°C/ gas mark 6.
2. Now prepare the filling. Bend the lower end of each asparagus stalk until it snaps. Discard the lower woody ends. Trim the spears with a sharp knife so they are all the same length. If the spears are thick, peel off the skin from the lower half with a swivel peeler and cut them in half right down the length. Grate the pecorino and roughly tear the speck into large pieces and set aside.
3. Bring a large pan or water to the boil. When the water is boiling, plunge the asparagus spears into the boiling water for 1 minute. Drain quickly and then refresh under very cold water to stop the asparagus cooking and keep the vibrant green colour. Pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
4. Place the chilled lined pastry case on a baking sheet. Blind bake the pastry for 15–20 minutes, then remove the baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes, or until the pastry looks dry and feels sandy to the touch. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/gas mark 2.
5. Put the eggs and cream into a small bowl and mix well with a fork. Pass this mixture through a sieve into a clean medium bowl. Add 100g of the grated pecorino to the egg mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Don’t add too much salt as the speck and pecorino are both quite salty.
6. Pour the egg, cream and cheese mixture into the tart case, making sure the case is as full as possible. Arrange the pieces of speck in an even pattern on top of the egg mixture, making sure you leave enough room to add the asparagus spears. Place the asparagus spears in between the pieces ham. Scatter the reserved 20g of grated pecorino over the top.
7. Carefully transfer to a shelf in the lower third of the oven and bake the tart for 20–30 minutes until the custard is pale yellow colour and just a little soft in the centre. To check, give the tart a little shake; there should be no violent wobble in the centre. (An overcooked filling will rise up and feel springy to the touch.)
8. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then remove the side of the tin, if using, and slide the tart onto a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
9. Just before serving, finely chop enough chives to yield about a tablespoon and sprinkle over the top of the tart.