Ever fancied attempting your hand at pastry? Well, we have the perfect Vegetarian Quiche recipe for you that is sure to impress your dinner guests! Here Dominic Franks, the creative brains behind leading food blog Belleau Kitchen, has shared with us his Leek, Mushroom and Oven-Roasted Tomato Quiche recipe and trust us it's delicious.
Dominic says: "Many people think quiches are just a summer picnic dish, but I love them served warm in the autumn and winter too. This quiche is phenomenal and it's the reason I make this same quiche, with different fillings, every year. It's a recipe slightly adapted from the quiche my mum always served at family functions. It’s a stunning quiche that freezes beautifully. If you’re not a fan of cream try cottage cheese or crème fraiche. Whatever you try, you won't regret it!"
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LEEK, MUSHROOM AND OVEN-ROASTED TOMATO QUICHE
Serves 4-6, Preparation time 30 minutes, Cooking time 1 hour 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the pastry
• 250g/9oz plain flour
• 100g/4oz butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
• 50g/2oz finely grated strong Cheddar cheese
• Water to mix
For the filling
• 1 vine of baby tomatoes (keep tomatoes on the vine)
• Butter and olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme
• 6 or 7 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 medium leeks, finely sliced and well rinsed
• 150g/5oz chestnut mushrooms, wiped and finely sliced
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 150ml/1/4pt single cream
• 100ml/4fl oz soured cream
• Fresh chives, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3 and place the tomato vine in a small ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season and throw on some fresh thyme. Gently roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 2
For the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub into the flour, using your fingertips, until you have something resembling breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated Cheddar then add a tbsp or 2 of cold water and bring together into a dough with your hands. You may need to add a little more water to create the dough but you will feel how 'short' the pastry is. Wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3
In a large pan gently melt a generous amount of butter with a little olive oil and throw in the spring onions and the leeks and let them sweat a little until they begin to soften. Add a little salt then turn up the heat a little and sauté them further. Add the mushrooms and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and let them all sweat together until the mushrooms are beginning to soften and turn golden. Turn the heat off and let the vegetables cool a little in the pan.
Step 4
Now your pastry should be ready. Increase the oven temperature to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board and use it to line a lightly greased 25cm/10in, 3cm/1 1/4in deep fluted tin with a loose bottom. Scrunch up some baking parchment and then lay this into the pastry case and pour some baking beans or dried pulses/pasta on top. Blind bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Step 5
Once the pastry is turning golden, take it out of the oven and set aside while you beat the eggs into the single and soured cream and then stir in the chives.
Step 6
Pour the leek mushroom mix into the pastry case, followed by the cream egg mix and then gently lay the tomato vine on top and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until golden and risen. Set aside on a wire rack to cool. The quiche should easily slide out of the tin.
This recipe is by Dominic Franks, the creative brains behind leading food blog Belleau Kitchen in collaboration with Britishleeks.co.uk. For more information and recipes, visit Britishleeks.co.uk
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