It’s been a while since our Cakes & Bakes series featured something savoury – it’s been very cake-heavy of late! In order to redress the balance, here’s a very easy-to-make and very tasty mushroom and broccoli quiche.
You can buy a range of quiches quite cheaply in any supermarket – but you just can’t beat a home-made, straight-out-of-the-oven version though! Pair it with a side salad for a healthy, hearty afternoon meal.
Mushroom and broccoli quiche
Ingredients
- For the pastry
- 110 g/4oz plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 50 g/2oz Stork or other margarine cubed
- 2 tbs cold water
- For the filling
- 25 g/1oz butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 8 closed cup or chestnut mushrooms chopped
- 2-4 stems of tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli depending on length
- 2 large eggs
- 275 ml/½pint double cream
- sea salt & freshly milled pepper to taste we swear by Bart Bristol Five Blend peppercorns
- 75 g hard cheese such as mature cheddar or Gruyère grated
Instructions
- Sift the flour & pinch of salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl
- Add the cubes of Stork gently rubbing them into the flour until it resembles crumbly breadcrumbs
- Sprinkly over the cold water, 1tbs at a time bringing together the mixture with your hands until it forms a smooth ball of dough and the bowl is clean
- If it's still a bit crumbly you may need a few more drops of water. Be careful not to add too much
- Wrap the ball of dough in cling film (Saran wrap) and refrigerate for at least half an hour
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
- Once chilled, roll out the dough into a circular shape (with a circumference slightly larger than the dish)
- Carefully ease the rolled out pastry over the top of a flan dish or shallow tin. Press the pastry into the sides and base of the dish.
- Prick the base all over with a fork or skewer
- Bake the empty pastry base for 15-20 minutes
- Remove from the oven while you prepare the filling
- Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan on a low heat and soften the onions in it for a few minutes
- Stir in the chopped mushrooms and cook for half and hour or so, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated
- Using a slotted spoon, evenly put the onion & mushroom mix on the pre-baked quiche base and lay the spears of broccoli on top
- In a measuring jug or similar, whisk the eggs together thoroughly before adding the cream and whisking again. Season with salt & pepper before pouring over the tart filling
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the centre is set and the cheese nicely browned
