Quiche

Quiche is a favourite for all occasions and should be regarded as much more than mere snack food. They can be very satisfying as main courses, especially for guests who may be vegetarians. Quiche is a savory, open-faced pastry crust dish with a filling of cheese, meat and vegetables. The quiche is sometimes regarded as the savory equivalent of custard tart. Today, quiche is considered as typically French. However, savoury custards in pastry were known in English cuisine at least as early as the fourteenth century.

Quiche lorraine was originally an open pie with a filling of custard with smoked bacon or lardons. It was only later that cheese was added to the quiche lorraine. The addition of Gruyère cheese makes a quiche au gruyère or a quiche vosgienne. The ‘quiche alsacienne’ is similar to the ‘quiche lorraine’, though onions are added to the recipe. The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough,[citation needed] but that has since evolved into a short-crust or puff pastry crust that is often baked using a springform pan.

Today, one can find many varieties of quiche, from the original quiche lorraine, to ones with broccoli, mushrooms, ham and/or seafood (primarily shellfish). Quiche can be served as an entrée, for lunch, breakfast or an evening snack. The origin of quiche lorraine is rural and the original quiche lorraine had a rustic style: it was cooked in a cast-iron pan and the pastry edges were not crimped. Today, quiche lorraine is served throughout France and has a modern look with a crimped pastry crust. In France, the version is unlike that served in the United States; the bacon is cubed, no onions are added and the custard base is thicker.

SPINACH, BACON AND FETA CHEESE QUICHE

PASTRY
1 cup plain flour
90g butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice, approximately

FILLING
1 bunch English spinach
2 tablespoons oil
4 bacon rashers, chopped
1 onion, sliced
125g feta cheese
3 eggs
200g carton sour cream
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Pastry: Sift flour into bowl, rub in butter, add egg yolk and enough lemon juice to mix to a firm dough. Cover, refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll dough out large enough to line a 23cm flan tin, trim edges. Cover Pastry with grease-proof paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Bake in moderately hot oven 7 minutes, remove paper and beans, bake further 7 minutes.

Spread spinach mixture evenly over Pastry, top with feta cheese. Pour in egg mixture, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until set.

Filling: Chop spinach leaves finely. Heat oil in pan, add spinach, cook, stirring, until spinach is just wilted; drain well. Add bacon and onion to pan, cook, stirring, until onion is soft; drain. Crumble feta cheese; whisk eggs and cream together in bowl.

QUICK ASPARAGUS QUICHE

We used an ovenproof quiche dish: the metal variety with the removable base is unsuitable for this recipe.

15g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup stale wholemeal breadcrumbs
4 eggs
300g carton sour cream
1 cup grated tasty cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
1/3 cup milk
2 x 340g cans asparagus spears, drained
paprika

Heat butter in pan, add onion, cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Stir in garlic and breadcrumbs. Press evenly over base of 25cm quiche dish. Blend or process combined eggs, sour cream, cheeses, flour and milk until smooth, pour slowly into quiche dish. Top with asparagus, sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake in moderate oven 35 minutes or until set.

WHOLEMEAL PUMPKIN QUICHE

Boil or steam about 375g pumpkin to give one cup mashed pumpkin. Left-over pumpkin can be used if it has not been mashed with milk, butter, cream.

WHOLEMEAL PASTRY
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1/4 cup wheatgerm or unprocessed bran
125g butter
2 tablespoons water, approximately

FILLING
15g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 bacon rashers, chopped
1 cup mashed pumpkin
3 eggs
300ml carton cream
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives

Wholemeal Pastry: Sift flours into bowl, add wheatgerm. Rub in butter, add enough water to mix to a firm dough, cover, refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll Pastry out large enough to line a 23cm flan tin, trim edges, line with greaseproof paper, fill with dry beans or rice. Bake in moderately hot oven 7 minutes, remove paper and beans, bake further 7 minutes. Pour Filling into Pastry case, bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until set.

Filling: Melt butter in pan, add onion and bacon, cook, stirring, until onion is soft; combine pumpkin, eggs, cream, cheese and chives in bowl, whisk in onion mixture.

SALMON AND CHEESE QUICHE

PASTRY
1 cup plain flour
90g butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons water, approximately

FILLING
220g can salmon, drained
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
4 green shallots, chopped
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup cream
3 eggs

Pastry: Sift flour into bowl, rub in butter, add tomato paste and enough water to mix to a firm dough, cover, refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll dough out large enough to line a 23cm flan tin. Cover Pastry with greaseproof paper, cover paper thickly with dried beans or rice. Bake in moderately hot oven 7 minutes, remove paper and beans, bake further 7 minutes, cool. Spread salmon mixture into Pastry case, pour in egg mixture. Bake in moderate oven 30 minutes or until set.

Filling: Flake salmon in bowl with fork, mix in cheese and shallots. Beat milk, cream and eggs together in bowl.

CAMEMBERT AND SMOKED SALMON QUICHE

Smoked salmon off-cuts can be bought cheaply from delicatessens.

6 sheets fillo pastry
45g butter, melted
200g packet camembert cheese
6 eggs
125g smoked salmon
2 x 300ml cartons cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Line a greased 25cm quiche dish or flan tin with one sheet of the pastry, brush with butter, top with another sheet of pastry placed the opposite way to the first sheet, brush with butter. Continue layering and buttering pastry in this way. Trim edges of pastry with scissors. Remove rind from camembert, slice camembert thinly, place evenly into pastry case. Blend or process combined eggs, salmon, cream and dill until smooth, pour into pastry case. Bake in moderate oven for about 40 minutes or until set.

SMOKED FISH QUICHE

PASTRY
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
90g butter
1/4cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice, approximately

FILLING
375g smoked fish
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
2 green shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Pastry: Sift flours and mustard into bowl, rub in butter. Add sour cream, then enough lemon juice to mix to a firm dough. Roll out large enough to line a 23cm flan tin, trim edges, cover Pastry with greaseproof paper, fill with dry beans or rice. Bake in moderately hot oven 7 minutes, remove paper and beans, bake further 7 minutes. Spread fish mixture into Pastry case, top with egg mixture. Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until set.

Filling: Poach or microwave fish until tender; drain, flake, remove skin and bones; combine with pepper, shallots and cheese in bowl. Whisk eggs, cream and milk together in bowl.

LEEK AND MUSHROOM QUICHE

CREAM CHEESE PASTRY
125g packet cream cheese
125g butter
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

FILLING
60g butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 small leeks, finely sliced
250g baby mushrooms, finely sliced
3 eggs
200g carton sour cream
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Cream Cheese Pastry: Have cream cheese and butter at room temperature. Beat cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour and basil, turn onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly and quickly until smooth (dough will be soft), cover, refrigerate 1 hour.

Using fingers, push Pastry evenly over base and side of a 23cm flan tin, trim edges. Cover Pastry with greaseproof paper, fill with dry beans or rice. Bake in moderately hot oven 7 minutes, remove paper and beans, bake further 7 minutes. Spread Ieek mixture over Pastry case, top with cheese, pour in
egg mixture. Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until set.

Filling: Heat butter, oil and garlic in pan, add leeks, cook, stirring, until soft, add mushrooms, cook, stirring, until soft. Whisk eggs and sour cream together in bowl.

HAM AND CORN QUICHE

PASTRY
1 1/4. cups plain flour
90g butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water, approximately

FILLING
100g ham, chopped
130g can corn kernels, drained
1 onion, finely sliced
3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs

Pastry: Sift flour into bowl, rub in butter. Add egg yolk and enough water to mix to a firm dough, cover, refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll dough out large enough to line a 23cm flan tin. Cover Pastry with greaseproof paper, fill with dry beans or rice. Bake in moderately hot oven 7 minutes, remove beans and paper, bake further 7 minutes. Spread ham mixture over Pastry, pour over egg mixture. Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Filling: Combine ham, corn, onion and cheese together in bowl. Whisk sour cream, milk and eggs together in bowl.

Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Gruyère Quiche

Ingredients:
For the flaky, buttery pastry:
8oz plain flour
2 sticks very cold butter
1 egg yolk
¼ cup iced water
For the filling:
7oz dry cure smoked streaky bacon, chopped
1½ cup heavy cream
4 eggs and 2 egg yolks (use 1 egg white for brushing the pastry)
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 tspn of sugar
A handful of chopped herbs – parsley, thyme or oregano
1 tbspn of olive oil
4 oz grated Gruyère cheese

1. Sift the flour and a generous pinch of salt in to a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and stir it in, then gently rub between your fingers, so the flour combines with the lumps of butter – the aim is not to mix it completely, so it turns into crumbs, but to have small lumps of butter coated with flour. Like the name, it should look quite rough, even unfinished.

2. Add the egg yolk and stir it into the dough. Sprinkle water as needed – enough to bring it into a dough (unless your kitchen is very dry, you probably won’t need it all), without overworking the mixture, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3.While the pastry is chilling, heat a frying pan add the olive oil, when hot add the red onion, sprinkle with the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and let cook for about 15-20 minutes until soft and caramelized.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C and put a baking tray in to warm. Grease a deep 9? pie tin. Roll out the pastry, pastry, leaving a little extra overhang to minimize shrinkage. A good tip is to keep any extra in case you need it for remedial work later. Line with foil (shiny side down) and weigh down with baking beans or rice. Place on the baking tray and blind bake in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and patch up any holes with the extra pastry if necessary. Bake for a further 8 minutes, then brush the base with egg white and put back into the oven for 5 minutes. Carefully trim the overhanging pastry to neaten.

6. Fry the bacon for 8–10 minutes, until cooked through, but not crisp. Drain and spread half over the hot base.

7. Put the cream and the eggs and yolks into a large bowl (or a food mixer if you have one) with a generous pinch of salt, and beat together slowly until combined, then give it a fast whisk for 30 seconds until frothy. Pour over the base to fill and then sprinkle over the rest of the bacon. Spread the onions and cheese and herbs. Bake for 20 minutes and then keep an eye on it – it’s done when it’s puffed up, but still wobbly at the center. Allow to cool slightly before serving – the flavour improves when it cools.

I think this picnic basket classic is worth the effort. Do you think it is time for a quiche revival? What are your favourite flavour combos?

Cheese with Bill & Sheila
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