Crumbly pastry with a creamy, rich filling – a classic quiche recipe should be in every cook’s repertoire, ready for a simple lunch or packed away for a picnic.
INGREDIENTS
1 shortcrust pastry sheet
600ml of double cream
4 eggs
5 egg yolks
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
100g of grated parmesan
1 leek, split lengthways, washed and finely sliced
250g of smoked salmon, chopped
Sunflower oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C
Line a loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with the ready-rolled pastry, pushing it carefully into the edges and leaving about 2cm overhang all the way around.
Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add a dash of sunflower oil to a pan and place over a medium heat. Gently sweat down the sliced leek for five minutes, without allowing it to colour.
Season lightly, then set aside and allow to cool. After 30 minutes, remove the pastry case and increase the oven temperature to 165°C.
In a large bowl, mix together the cream, whole eggs and four of the egg yolks. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to help break up the eggs and ensure there are no bits of shell. Stir through the cayenne pepper, nutmeg, parmesan and a little pinch of salt.
Remove the baking beans and paper from the pastry case. Trim the overhanging edges and check for any gaps in the base – these can be filled with a little extra raw pastry if needed. Beat the remaining egg yolk and brush over the base. Place the empty glazed case in the oven for two minutes to seal.
Mix the cooled leeks and smoked salmon pieces through the cream mixture until evenly combined. Remove the glazed pastry case from the oven and pour in the cream mixture.
Return the quiche to the oven and bake for one hour until golden and firm.
Allow the cooked quiche to rest for at least 30-45 minutes before removing from the tin and cutting into slices to serve.