Quiche makes the perfect picnic food, so practice your quiche making in time for the spring with this classic recipe. As this is a classic, you can easily amend it to include your favourite flavours!
Ingredients
For the pastry
226g plain flour
100g cold butter
For the filling:
225g smoked bacon
75g grated cheese
200ml crème fraiche
300ml single cream
3 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste.
You can pick up bacon all over Dorset, check our meat producers here. Find local eggs here and local cheeses here.
You could always use shop bought pastry to make this easier and you can leave out the bacon to make it vegetarian.
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 6.
Start by making the pastry base (or preparing it if you have opted for a premade pastry.) Sift the flour into a large bowl, dice the butter and add to the flour, rubbing the two together until it starts to resemble bread crumbs. Once combined, add 45ml of cold water and using a knife, mix together until the pastry sticks together.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and then place it in a deep flan tin making sure to cover the base and sides of the tin. Poke a few small holes in the pastry and then line it with baking parchment and fill with baking beans to blind bake. Pop into the oven for 20 mins, making sure to take out the baking parchment and beans for the final 5.
While the pastry is cooking, you can get started on the filling. Dice and then saute the bacon without an extra oils or fats in a pan until lightly coloured. Pat dry with a sheet of kitchen paper or a clean towel.
In a jug or separate bowl, add the crème fraiche, cream and eggs and beat together, season. Grate the cheese.
Remove the pastry from the oven, scatter the bacon and half the cheese over the base, pour on the cream/egg mix and then add the remaining cheese. Return to the oven on a lower temp (170 degrees/ gas mark 5) and bake for around 25 minutes, checking to make sure the filling is set.
Cool for 10 minutes before taking it out of the tin.
Quiche can be eaten hot or cold – however you like!
