Wednesday 25 January 2012

quiche basics, or flan if you will

I cooked three quiches on Monday, it'll pass, and had to think a lot about the egg/milk magic that makes quiche work. It is a basic savoury custard, and even though when you put it that way it seems less tempting, bung it in a pastry shell, add a few other ingredients and stand back to watch people scoff it down.

Quiches, or mini quiches are standard fare at lots of gatherings. Make them and people imagine you are a culinary genius, and why not? Grab a packet of ready made pastry, use it to line some well buttered tart tins, shallow ones are easier, but make sure you get the pastry/filling ratio right. You can guarantee an easy exit by cutting squares of baking parchment (crumpled and flattened out again to make it sit well into the corners) to pop under the pastry. Hey, go ultra rustic and don't bother to have circles of pastry, cut it into squares and let people enjoy some toasty corners, just avoid burning them, because noone likes a charred pastry corner. Make your egg mixture, put in your other ingredients and pour it on top. Fill to just under the top of the pastry and cook.

Basic quiche filling proportions: one large egg to 100ml cream or milk

Add seasoning: pepper, salt, herbs

to vary the quiches you add some solid ingredients such as:

  • roasted veg, such as peppers and onions
  • cheese and ham (or bacon, cooked)
  • steamed broccoli florets 
  • spinach and goats cheese
  • mushroom and leek

These should be cut into suitable sizes to get variety in each mouthful, and vegetables need to be almost or completely cooked beforehand.

Cook mini quiches for about 20 minutes at gas mark 6/ 200 C/ 375F, or until golden and risen.

If you don't want to use pastry, line your quiche with thin slices of courgette, making sure to line the case with baking parchment, and perhaps to make the quiche mixture a little more eggy.

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