Classic Cheese Quiche
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats.
A crisp, blind-baked butter pastry case filled with a silky cream-and-milk custard and plenty of melted cheddar and Gruyère-style cheese.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Mix the pastry. Pulse or rub the flour, salt and butter together until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Mix the egg yolk with the water, add it and bring everything together into a dough, adding up to 15 ml more water only if it stays crumbly. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Keeping the water to a minimum produces a short, tender crust instead of a tough one.
- 2
Line the tin. Roll the pastry into a 30 cm round about 3 mm thick and ease it into the tin, pressing it gently into the flutes and leaving a little overhang. Prick the base all over with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes. Pastry that goes into the oven frozen holds its shape and shrinks far less.
- 3
Blind bake the case. Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) with the baking tray inside. Line the case with baking paper, fill it with beans and bake on the hot tray for 15 minutes. Then lift out the paper and beans and bake for another 5-8 minutes, until the base looks dry and pale golden. Trim the overhang level with the rim and turn the oven down to 160 °C (140 °C fan); baking the case first is what prevents a soggy bottom.
- 4
Whisk the custard. Whisk the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a jug until completely smooth. Mixing cream with milk gives a custard that is rich but still light, and it sets softly rather than turning rubbery.
- 5
Fill the case. While the case is still hot, scatter two thirds of the cheese over the base, then pour in the custard to about 5 mm below the rim. Scatter the rest of the cheese on top. The cheese underneath melts into the custard, and the cheese on top browns into a golden crust.
- 6
Bake low and slow. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the quiche is puffed and golden at the edges but still has a slight wobble in the very centre; it should read 77-80 °C there (at least 71 °C). A low oven sets the eggs gently. If you overbake it, the custard turns grainy and weeps.
- 7
Rest before slicing. Leave the quiche in its tin on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes so the custard finishes setting. Then unmould it, scatter with chives if you like and cut into 8 wedges.
Storage
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve it cold, or reheat it at 160 °C (140 °C fan) for 15-20 minutes until piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- food processor or large bowl
- cling film
- rolling pin
- 23 cm fluted tart tin with removable base, about 3.5 cm deep
- baking paper and baking beans
- baking tray
- jug and whisk
- instant-read thermometer
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 440 kcal |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.1 g |
| of which sugars | 2.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 33.4 g |
| of which saturates | 19.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.7 g |
| Salt | 1.01 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
