Bacon, Caramelised onion, Baby spinach quiche

A quiche sounds terribly French and therefore suitably tricky. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think of a quiche as a vehicle for using up bits in your fridge, which combined with the soft custard filing makes a perfect meal. A quiche could be like a sandwich, where the pastry is the bread, and the basic custard a carrier for fillings you like.

For several people the word pastry or shortcrust pastry more precisely, rings alarm bells. If you live in a hot country, like I did in Singapore, it is undoubtedly tricky to make if the kitchen is hot. There are a few ways to get around it (see the notes). If it’s too much bother, buy good shortcrust pastry (all butter, with no additives) from supermarkets. If you do decide to make your own, definitely make double of what you need. The effort needed is the same, but pastry is one of the easiest things to freeze. If you look into my freezer, you will always find a disc of pastry.

Recipe for shortcrust pastry

The custard: The eggs to dairy ratio will decide how wobbly your custard is. I like a 2:1 ratio of dairy to eggs, as I like the custard quite delicate and unlike an omelette. At the bakery we used a 1:1 ratio, primarily as the quiche would be handled a lot and it was important that it all held to together. Anything in this range is fine, depending on the outcome you desire. From one of my favourite books, “Tartine” I learnt the trick of adding some flour. This is entirely optional, but I find that it helps set the custard, without overcooking it.

The dairy: You can use all cream for the dairy component, but personally I find it too rich. I prefer equal amounts of milk and cream with a little yoghurt or crème fraiche. I like the tang of crème fraiche or sour cream, but in the absence of both, adding some yoghurt to the mix works.

Eggs: Egg yolks will make for a richer filing, and I have tried recipes using only yolks. The benefit of using more yolks is you reduce the likelihood or overcooking your quiche and having a tough set finish. If you have a few yolks lying around, by all means substitute 2 yolks for 1 egg, but it will take a tiny bit longer to set. If you do decide to use all yolks, reduce the cream in the dairy, as yolks make the custard rich.

For the quiche filling, the custard and base are quite bland, so it’s important to have one key flavour component. I have used bacon, but smoked salmon or if you are vegetarian, spinach with sundried tomatoes, or roasted vegetables and goat’s cheese is always a winner.

Vegetarian quiche with goat’s cheese

Here’s a photo of a vegetarian one that I made a few weeks back. I also like to put a layer of grated Gruyere or cheddar (any firm cheese) at the bottom, for added flavour. Although I have provided a recipe below for the quiche I baked last week, nothing is sacrosanct.

 

Print Recipe
Bacon, Caramelised onion, Baby spinach quiche
Make your shortcrust pastry, using the link above. The best part about making a quiche is that it can all be baked and done in advance and eaten at room temperature or warmed. If you are serving it warm, I think it’s quite nice to put it under a hot grill for a minute or two to brown the top slightly. But you have to watch it like a hawk! I like smoked bacon as it has good strong flavour, which is a perfect foil for the custard.
Cuisine Modern British
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 45 min
Servings
Ingredients
For the filling
For the custard
Cuisine Modern British
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 45 min
Servings
Ingredients
For the filling
For the custard
Instructions
  1. For the onions, fry the onions on low heat for about 15-20 minutes in the olive oil and butter. They should be soft and golden brown. Add the balsamic vinegar and take off the heat.
  2. Remove the onions, and in the same pan brown the bacon lardons, until they come golden and render some fat.
  3. Preheat the oven to 170C / 150Cfan. Place the tart tin on a baking tray. Spread the grated cheese evenly at the bottom of the cooked crust. Then sprinkle over the filling ingredients evenly.
  4. For the custard, place the flour in a measuring jug or bowl, and whisk in one egg until no lumps of flour remaining. Add all the other remaining ingredients, and whisk well.
  5. Pour the filling into the crust. One tricky bit here is to not to fill it completely as it’s impossible to transfer into the oven without spills. So pour about a three-fourths and place the baking tray in the oven. Then gently pour over the rest of the filling and place the tomato slices on top if using.
  6. Occasionally you may have some filling left over. In that case, partly cook the tart, pull out the baking tray halfway, and make a cut in the centre with a knife and pour the remaining filling it.
  7. Quiches look best when filled to the brim, so go as far as you can with the filling without letting it run over.
  8. Bake the tart for anything between 30-45 minutes, the centre should be softly set but still wobbly. The timing depends on the filling ingredients used.
  9. Reheat in a hot oven and flash it under a hot grill to get a good golden colour.
Recipe Notes

When I owned an excellent German oven in Singapore, I got away without pre-baking the crust,  by using the intensive bake setting that cooks through the pastry bottom.  At the bakery as well, we always baked quiches directly, without pre-baking,  but the quiches were baked on a stone hearth, and the bottom cooked through well.

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