Thought today I'd do some pastry work, haven't done any in a while and needed to keep my hand in. Also needed to come up with a mail meal for the family, so quiche was a good option. Using the basic quiche recipe I thought I'd try my own choice of ingredients. My choice worked quite well which is a nice feeling because it means I'm starting to learn flavours.

I was walking around the vegetable section at the shop and immediately thought pasty sized chunks of sweet potato would work well. Then I needed a touch of sharpness to keep it savoury for my palette to which I fancied trying red pepper. Try it, see what you think. I think it's nice as the taste of the sweet potato comes through as an after taste.

How many calories in the quiche? – 242 calories per slice if the quiche is divided into 8.

Ingredients for the quiche (makes a 9 inch / 23cm quiche)

Pastry (makes double needed – can't halve an egg yolk so freeze the rest)

• 4 1/2 ounces unsalted butter
• 7 ounces plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 2/3 tablespoons of water

Quiche filling:

• 2 medium eggs
• 125 ml milk
• 125 ml double cream
• salt & pepper
• 2 teaspoons of basil
• half a sweet potato
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• half a red pepper
• tablespoon of olive oil

You'll need to preheat your oven for both construction stages of this quiche to around 190/200C.

How to make the pastry

Best to use chilled butter. Weigh the flour and tip in to a hand mixing bowl. Weigh the butter then chop into cubes and add to the flour. Using your finger tips pick up butter and flour then rub your finger on each hand together to sprinkle the mixture back into the bowl. Repeat until you've got what resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and two tablespoons of water, then using one hand grab gently the mixture and turn. Repeat until it comes together into a ball. Press down with your palm and notice if there are large cracks appearing or not. If yes and another tablespoon of water and mix again. If not it's good. Pop in a food bag and allow to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Grease the quiche tin, flour your work top and take the pastry out of the fridge. Roll out so that it's nice and thin, less than a pound coin lying down, but still manageable. Place the pastry in the tin, crimping to the sides, prick with a fork, line with baking paper and blind bake for around 15 minutes at 190C using ceramic balls or similar until light golden colour. Take out of the oven, allow to cool and remove the lining and beans.

How to make the filling

Peel and chop the ingredients fine like you'd find in a Cornish pasty, ie tiny cubes. Fry the sweet potato first for about 5 minutes. Then add the onion and red pepper. Continue to gently fry until the ingredients start to become soft. Then you can add the garlic. Fry for another minute or two and then take off the gas.

Tip the milk and cream into bowl/jug and add the eggs plus salt, pepper and basil. Hand whisk until mixed.

Add the frying pan mix to the quiche base and spread it out., then add the liquid giving it a gentle stir. Bake for as long as it takes to start to go slightly brown in parts on top and there is little or no wobble. Probably 20 minutes or so, maybe a bit less so keep an eye on it.

Serve the quiche warm or cold. I like to have quiche served with a side salad.

• Prev
• Next