There’s nothing quite like a quiche to get the party started. No summer social gathering is complete without one.
In our version, we’ve brought together all the flavours of a traditional British ploughman’s – apple, chutney, ham and Cheddar. It’s an absolute treat.
A couple of thoughts before you get started. Firstly, use the strongest Cheddar you can. When cooked in cream, the cheese can lose a bit of its power, so aim for an extra mature, vintage or farmhouse variety that packs a punch.
Secondly, don’t overcook your quiche – it makes the eggs scrambly and woolly when you eat it. Ideally you want the tart to have a very, very slight wobble as you take it out of the oven. It will set more as it cools, giving a creamy, luxurious texture.
Ingredients (makes 1 23cm quiche)
For the pastry:
- 175g plain flour
- 75g unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- Splash ice cold water
For the filling:
- 3 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks
- 300ml double or whipping cream
- 1 tbsp chives, roughly chopped
- 175g high-quality British smoked ham, roughly chopped
- 100g strong Cheddar, cubed
- 2 tbsp small pickled onions
- Seasoning
- 4 tbsp apple chutney
Method
1. Start with the pastry. Blitz the butter and flour in a food processor until you have breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and a splash of ice-cold water and mix again to combine. It should hold together nicely and not be too dry or crumbly.
2. Press into a chunky disc, wrap, and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Once the pastry has had its chilling time, roll it out to around ½cm thick and wide enough to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin (allowing excess to go over the top). Carefully press the pastry into the tin, making sure you get right into the corners. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans, then pop in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Set the oven to 180C.
4. While that’s chilling, make your filling. Beat together the eggs and cream until smooth. Add seasoning to taste, and the chives. Set aside in a jug.
5. Roll a rolling pin over the top of your chilled pastry to cut away any excess (save a little for later), place the tin on a tray, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the greaseproof and baking beans. If there are any holes or patchy areas after baking, press some of the leftover dough in as a filler, and brush with egg white, returning to the oven for a few minutes more.
6. Spread the chutney into the base.
7. Pour in the filling, then evenly scatter over the cheese, ham and onions. Adding them at this stage prevents them all sinking to the bottom.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes (check after 30 and 35) until golden on top and just set. There will be a slight wobble but it shouldn’t look liquidy.
9. Allow to cool in the tin and serve just warm or at room temperature. If you want to reheat before serving, do this in the oven. Microwaving quiche will make the pastry soggy and filling rubbery.
10. Enjoy with salad and pickles.
