Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hr 10 min

A spring quiche that looks as good as it tastes. Easy to make, versatile, and 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 (11 inch / 28 cm)
10–12 fresh green asparagus spears, trimmed to fit half the quiche pan 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 dill, chopped
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
½ tsp honey, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Blind-bake the pastry. 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, pressing it gently against the sides to create a neat border. Prick the base all over with a fork. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and spread baking beans evenly on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper carefully—they are very hot. Return the pastry to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until pale golden. Set aside.

Prepare the asparagus. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Trim the asparagus to the radius of your quiche pan, about 5–6 inches (14 cm). Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Pat dry thoroughly—watery asparagus will dilute the filling.

Make the custard. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, dill, salt, and pepper until smooth. Do not over-mix.

Assemble and bake. Spread half 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. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over everything. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the filling very gently so as not to disturb the asparagus. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the custard is just set and the top is lightly golden but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let the quiche rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.

Make the dressing. 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.

Serve. Cut the quiche into wedges and serve warm alongside the dressed green salad.