Tag: Quiche

Categories
Bakes Mains

Leek, Bacon & Stilton Flan

It’s the time of year for quiche, eaten warm or cold while sitting on the patio in the summer sun. Perhaps enjoying a glass of fresh Elderflower over ice, or maybe even something stronger.

For me, leek, bacon and Stilton cheese is always a winning blend in a dish. The deep oniony taste of the silky, buttery leeks complements the saltiness of the bacon and the creaminess of the cheese. As my photo above (taken in the back garden sun) shows, the greeny blue hues of the toasted topped flan just make you want to tuck into a slice.

Serve this as a main accompanied by some side salads. If you need some ideas, check out Beetroot, Feta and Walnut Salad with Bulgar and Quinoa, Crunchy Fruit and Nut Pilaff, or Royal Blood Orange Salad.

Servings

4 adult portions.

Timings

The whole process takes around an hour: 10 mins to make the pastry, 10 mins to chill, another 10 mins to blind bake the pastry base, and then 25 mins to bake the flan.

You Will Need

  • 225g plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 100g spread or margarine
  • 2 – 3 tbsp cold water
  • 2 leeks
  • a knob of butter
  • 3 slices of bacon
  • 100g Stilton cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 50g milk
  • a few twists of black pepper

Method

  1. Turn the oven to 180C. Grease and line a flan dish – the one I used (in the photo) is 22cm diameter.
  2. Sieve the flour and salt into a food processor with blade fitted, and add in the spread. Blitz until it resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Add a few drops of the water until it binds into a lump of soft pastry.
  3. Tip out and wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge to chill for 10 mins.
  4. Meanwhile, wash the leeks and chop into a saucepan with the butter. Place over a gentle heat so that they soften in the melted butter.
  5. Chop the bacon into pieces and fry till browned and crispy.
  6. Take the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface to a size that fits your flan dish. Fit it into the dish and trim off any overhanging excess. Place a crumpled piece of baking paper inside and fill with ceramic baking beans. Place in the oven for 10 mins.
  7. Remove from the oven and discard the paper/ beans, taking care as they will be hot. Spread the softened leeks and bacon over the base, then crumble over the Stilton cheese.
  8. Mix the beaten eggs, milk and pepper in a jug, and pour carefully into the flan. Place in the oven for 25mins until cooked.
  9. Remove and serve hot, if you wish, or let it go cold. Serve it al fresco, with salads and cold drinks.

Customise it!

As I’ve said, I regard leek, bacon and Stilton as a classic taste combo, so wouldn’t change it. However, you could add other green veg for the leeks if you wish – broccoli would go well. You could also add grated cheddar or another favourite cheese, in place of the Stilton.

Music time. Here’s a song I really like from a new artist for the Playlist – Ladyhawke, with Black White and Blue. Maybe not quite the colours of my Leek, Bacon and Stilton Flan, but still a great track nonetheless!

Categories
Mains Recipes

Summer Greens Quiche with Stilton and Ricotta

Summer green vegetables are reaching their peak just now, and this quiche brings out the best in them. Fetch a crop from the garden or market stall, and mix with creamy ricotta and salty blue cheese in this fresh and vibrant quiche.

Servings

Makes 4 generous slices, or 6-8 average ones!

Timings

About 15 mins initially to prepare the pastry, and another 15 mins to prepare the filling including steaming the veg. Baking time is an initial 10 minutes for the case alone, then 45-50 mins for the filled quiche.

You Will Need

For the pastry

  • 115g plain flour
  • 115g wholemeal flour
  • 100g soft margarine
  • a pinch of seasalt
  • a pinch of paprika
  • a few drops of cold water

For the filling

  • Approx 180g fresh green veg (I used broccoli, french beans, runner beans and mange tout)
  • about 3 spring onions
  • 3 large eggs
  • 130g ricotta cheese
  • 50g stilton cheese
  • twist of black pepper

Method

  1. Grease a 20cm flan dish with some margarine or spread. I like to line the base with a circle of greaseproof paper in addition, as I find it helps to remove the quiche once baked.
  2. Make the pastry by sieving the two flours into a food processor fixed with blade, along with the margarine cut into cubes. Pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add a few drops of water and pulse again until you have a ball of pastry whirling around the blade. Take it out, pat into a ball and wrap in clingfilm, placing it in the fridge to stay cool.
  3. Prepare the veg. Trim the ends off the beans and cut into 2-3cm lengths. Trim the ends of the mange tout, and cut any leaves and tough stalks off the broccoli.
  4. Put the veg into a steamer over boiling water for about 10 mins.
  5. While the veg is steaming, turn on the oven and set to 180C. Take the pastry from the fridge and roll out with a rolling pin to a size that will fit the flan dish. Carefully place it into the dish. Leave any pieces overhanging at the edges for the moment. Prick the base with a fork in 5 or 6 places. Place it back in the fridge while the oven is getting up to temperature.
  6. Remove the veg from the steamer and drain in a colander. Set on one side.
  7. With the oven up to temperature, remove the pastry dish from the fridge. Crumple a square of greaseproof paper with your hands and place it in the dish. Fill the paper with baking beans, spreading them out with your fingers so they cover the whole of the base and are gently pressed up to the sides. Place in the oven for 10 mins.
  8. While the pastry base is baking, top and tail the spring onions and cut into 2-3cm lengths. Chop the stilton roughly into cubes. It will crumble a bit as you do.
  9. Mix the eggs and ricotta in a jug, and give it a few twists of black pepper.
  10. Remove the pastry dish from the oven and carefully lift the paper and baking beans into a separate bowl to cool. Don’t worry too much about any pastry overhanging the edges – it will drop off as it bakes, either at this stage or the next one.
  11. Spread the steamed veg across the pastry base, and crumble the stilton over it. Carefully pour the egg and ricotta mix into the pastry base, making sure it gets into all the little cavities between the veg. Dot over the chopped spring onions, making sure they are lightly pushed into the mixture so they don’t burn.
  12. Bake in the oven, still at 180C, for about 45 – 50 minutes. The mixture should have risen and the top should be slightly browned. Remove and leave to cool in the dish.
  13. When cool, chop into slices and serve!

Customise it!

Main opportunity for going freestyle here is in the choice of veg. Sticking broadly to the theme of seasonal green/garden veg, you can use whatever you have to hand – perhaps introduce some greens, spinach, kale or chard. Herbs will also go well. Any combination should work, but keep it to a total of around 180g so as not to overfill.

You can also use any other crumbly blue cheese in place of stilton e.g. Dorset Blue Vinney. If you’re short of time, or don’t want to bother making the pastry, then you can use some ready made shortcrust pastry.