Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hr 10 min
A quiche which is a salute to the spring. It is delicious and looks beautiful too. Easy to make, versatile, perfect for a light lunch, dinner or entertaining. Serve alongside a simple green salad with Dijon Mustard and Honey Vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
For the quiche:
- 1 store-bought or homemade shortcrust pastry shell (11-inch / 28 cm)
- 10–12 fresh green asparagus spears, trimmed to fit 1/2 of the quiche form diameter, about 5–6 inches (14 cm)
- 5½ oz (150 g) smoked salmon, shredded into pieces
- 3½ oz (100 g) Emmentaler cheese, grated
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (200 ml) heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the green salad:
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard or to taste
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or to taste
- 1/2 tsp honey or to taste
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Line a quiche pan with a removable bottom with parchment paper. Roll out the pastry and line the pan with it. Press the pastry against the the sides of the pan gently to create a nice border. Prick pastry base all over with a fork. Cover it with another sheet of parchment paper and spread the baking beans evenly on top of it. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove baking beans and paper from the top of the pastry, very carefully, beans are very hot and can cause burns. Return pastry to the oven for another 5 minutes or until it is pale golden. Set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 F/ 180 C.Trim asparagus to the radius of your quiche pan, about 5-6 inches (14 cm) . Bring a pan with salted water to a boil. Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge them in iced water to stop cooking. Pat them dry well. Watery asparagus will dilute the filling.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, dill, salt and pepper until smooth. Do not over mix.
Spread 1/2 of the grated cheese over the base of the pastry shell. Scatter the smoked salmon evenly over the cheese. Arrange the asparagus spears like the spokes of a wheel on top of the cheese and salmon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the filling very gently as not to disturb the asparagus design. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the custard is just set and the top is lightly golden but still jiggly in the middle. Let the quiche rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Dress the salad greens just before serving.
Cut the quiche into wedges and serve warm alongside the dressed green salad.
Notes
Asparagus: Choose spears of similar thickness so they cook evenly. Asparagus ends are great for a soup.
Pastry shell: Blind-baking the shell before filling prevents a soggy base. If using store-bought, follow the package instructions.
Cheese: Gruyère is a good substitute for Emmentaler and melts equally well.
