Leek Quiche
Introduction
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
225g (8 oz) standard flour
Pinch of salt
170g (6 oz) unsalted butter
1 medium (size 6) egg yolk
3–4 Tbsp chilled water, or as needed
2 medium leeks (or 1 large one)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1½ Tbsp olive oil
130g (about 4-5 oz) rocket leaves (arugula), trimmed and chopped
3 medium (size 6) free-range eggs
¾ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Method
Read all the tips about making pastry before starting Rich Shortcrust Pastry.
1 Sift flour and salt into a large wide bowl. Cut butter into cubes and drop into flour. Use two round-bladed knives or a metal pastry blender to cut butter through flour. Then finish rubbing in butter with the fingertips. Blend egg yolk and chilled water together and mix into flour and butter with a knife, working quickly but lightly. Once it starts to form a clumpy ball, use your hand to bring it to a smooth ball, but use minimum and light contact. If there are a lot of floury flakes, dribble in a little more water. Pat dough into a ball, then into a round or rectangular shape depending on its end use, using a little extra flour to prevent it sticking. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20-30 minutes, until dough feels firmish.
2 Roll out dough and line into a 23cm (9”) loose-bottomed flan ring, and bake blind for 20 minutes as described in Rich Shortcrust Pastry recipe Baking Blind. Leave to cool on a baking sheet.
3 Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Place another baking sheet (tray) on a rack in the centre of the oven. Use a large knife to trim tops of leeks, then remove coarse outer leaves. Trim roots. Cut leeks in half lengthways, then rinse thoroughly under running water. Slice thinly.
4 Put leeks and garlic in a medium-sized frying pan (skillet) with olive oil. Cook gently for
about 12 minutes, stirring often, until leeks have wilted and softened (if leeks start catching on the bottom of the pan, add a few splashes of water). Add rocket and stir until wilted. Cool.
5 Whisk eggs, crème fraîche and milk together in a large bowl and season with ¾ of a teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Add nutmeg and thyme. Stir in leek mixture, then pour everything into pastry case. Sprinkle with parmesan.
6 Slide quiche and paper off cold sheet onto hot one in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden around the edges and the top is a good golden colour. If the top starts getting too dark, drape a piece of tin foil over the top. Cool quiche for 15 minutes on a rack, then remove flan ring, leaving quiche on the metal base until cooled. Serve warmish or at room temperature.