A good quiche is an extremely simple meal to make and yet, it never fails to impress. It’s perfect for brunch, lunch, dinner, for a picnic or even as individual minis served as party food. While it doesn’t take much effort to make your own shortcrust pastry, it makes all the difference in taste.
Ingredients (serves 4)
1.5 cups plain flour
100g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup cold water
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp thyme, coriander or parsley
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup cream
1 cup grated cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C and line tray with baking paper. To make the pastry, place the flour and butter in a food processor and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Slowly add chilled water, while processing, or until the mixture comes together in a smooth ball. Lay the pastry into the tray, trim excess and prick the bottom with a fork. If you can, refrigerate for 30 minutes to prevent it from shrinking. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and brown for 2 minutes. Add the leek and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelized. Cool and sprinkle over cooked pastry.
- Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. Whisk the eggs with the cream in a mixing bowl. Stir in half the cheese, herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the leek mixture, sprinkle the remaining cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until set and golden brown.
Let is rest for 10-15 minutes and serve with a green salad. Feel free to experiment with your own variants – substitute leek for other vegetables such as broccoli or mushroom, add sprinkles of goat cheese or add bacon for a meatier option.