• Put a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, add half the bacon, then fry briskly for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp and lightly golden. Set aside with a slotted spoon, then repeat with the remaining bacon. Wipe the pan.
• Lower the heat and add the butter to the pan. When it has melted, add the leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cooked bacon and herbs.

Make the pastry:

• Lightly grease a 5.5cm deep, 20cm loose bottomed round tin with butter. Put the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and lard, then whizz briefly until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl and stir in just enough cold water (approx. 150 to 200ml) to bring the mixture together into a ball.
• Knead the pastry briefly on a lightly floured surface, then cut off a 200g piece and set it aside. Roll out the remaining pastry and use it to line the base and sides of the greased tin, leaving the edges overhanging.

Assemble and bake:

• Separate one of the eggs and set the yolk aside in a cup. Lightly beat the egg white plus another egg with the cream, nutmeg, a little salt and some pepper in a small jug. Scatter two thirds of the bacon mixture over the base of the tin and drizzle over half the cream mixture.
• Carefully break the remaining 8 eggs, one at a time, into a cup and slide them side-by-side onto the top of the bacon mixture, taking care not to break the yolks. Season them lightly, then scatter over the remaining bacon mixture, then drizzle over the remaining egg and cream mixture.
• Brush the overhanging pastry with a little water. Roll out the 200g piece of pastry into a round, carefully lay it over the top of the pie and press the pastry edges together. Neatly trim back the overhanging pastry to 2cm, brush with a little more water, then roll it over on itself to form the edge of the pie. Crimp it well between your fingers, lightly score the top in a criss-cross pattern and cut a small slit in the centre of the lid.
• Beat the reserved egg yolk with 1 tsp of water and brush generously over the top of the pie. Re-knead and roll out the pastry trimmings, cut it into leaves and use them to decorate the top of the pie. Brush them with a little more egg wash, slide the pie onto the heated baking tray and bake for 1 hour or until the pastry is golden. Remove the pie from the oven and set it aside for 30 minutes. Carefully remove it from the tin and serve warm (or cold), cut into wedges.