Salmon & Aspargus Quiche

Ingredients

1 portion of shortcrust pastry (homemade or shop bought)

50g Butter

2 shallots, sliced

Bunch of asparagus

100ml milk

2 salmon fillets

A good handful of wild garlic leaves

300ml double cream

3 eggs

Parsley

1 lemon

50g cheddar cheese, grated

 

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C fan.

2. Roll out the pastry and line a loose-bottomed 20cm tart tin. Prick the bottom with a fork, then line with baking paper and fill with baking beans, blind bake for about 20 minutes.

3. Remove the baking beans and put the case back in the oven for approx. 5 mins to make sure it’s cooked through, but it should not be brown.

4. Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the shallots, keep the heat quite low, cooking the onions gently until soft but not coloured.

5. Leave the onion and pastry case to cool.

6. Bring a pan of salted water to boil, snap the woody ends off the asparagus, and boil in the pan for 2-3 mins, then rinse with cold water.

7. Add the milk to a pan (you can use the asparagus pan), bring to a gentle simmer, then add the salmon and poach for about 4 mins.

8. Take the salmon out of the pan and reserve the milk.

9. Spoon the onions into the pastry case, add the asparagus and flake the salmon over the top.

10. In a jug mix the cream, eggs, parsley, lemon zest and wild garlic, season well. Pour the mixture into the pastry case, then top with the cheese.

11. Lower the oven temperate to 140 C fan and carefully put the quiche back into the oven for 45 mins to an hour.

12. The quiche can be served hot or cold.

 

Top Tip

When blind baking a tart, put a hot baking tray in the oven to warm up while you make the pastry, then put the tart tin onto that baking tray to bake… avoiding the dreaded soggy bottom!

 

Also, I tend to half fill my pastry case with the egg mixture then move it to the oven before adding the rest and the cheese, to prevent spillages.