Quiches make great summer food. They’re portable enough for a picnic, and robust enough to hold their own as a main meal

There’s more to quiche than Lorraine. Although this lovely tart is credited with being the first of its kind, and it is a true classic, don’t let your imagination stop there. You can incorporate just about any type of ingredient you like – vegetables, meat, fish – into a pie crust set with egg and cream. Most quiches use the easiest-to-make of pastries, short-crust, but if you really don’t want to make your own, you can buy ready-made.

An important technique to be familiar with, whether making your own pastry or using ready-made, is how to ‘bake blind’. This means cooking the pastry on its own, before cooking the filling inside. This stops the pastry from going soggy and gives it a light, crisp texture.

Simply line the pastry in its dish with baking parchment or greaseproof paper and scatter ‘baking beans’ over it to weight it down. These can be the specially made ceramic variety or any type of dried bean. Keep them in a jar just for this purpose and you can use them time after time.

And a final word on what type of tin or dish to use: glass or ceramic quiche dishes are fine and make a handy all-in-one, oven-to-table container. Metal flan rings are also good because they conduct heat very well and allow you to remove the pie from the dish for serving. These also come in small sizes so you can make individual quiches for special occasions. Whichever type you use, make sure it has sides at least 3.5cm high – pastry can shrink during baking, and you need to be able to fit all of the filling inside.

Recipes

• Shortcrust Pastry
• Quiche Lorraine
• Provençale Tart with Herbs
• Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
• Baked Salmon, Dill and Potato Pie
• Two-haddock and Leek Quiche

Plus

• Make a meal out of it with six great salad ideas
• Do you have a question for Terry? Join her on our Cooking Coach board.
• Talk food and swap recipes with other iVillagers.

Shortcrust Pastry
To line a 20-23cm (8-9in) pie dish or flan ring

175g plain flour
85g butter, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cold water
pinch of salt

By hand

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the butter. With the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
2. Mix the yolk with the water, and add to the flour mixture.
3. Bring together with your hands and form into a thick round. Different flours absorb moisture at different rates, so you may need a little more or a little less water. The pastry should hold together but not be too soft.

In a food processor

1. Tip the flour, salt and butter into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Mix the yolk and water and add to the flour. Pulse again, just until the mixture looks soft and will come together.
3. Tip out onto a surface and bring together to form a thick round.

Lining the tin

1. For home-made or ready-made pastry, flour a work surface and roll out the pastry so it is just large enough to line the dish.
2. Gently lift it off the surface with a palette knife and lay one end over a rolling pin.
3. Place it evenly in the dish or tin and press the pastry into the base and sides, trimming the overhang.
4. Let the pastry rest for at least 20 minutes in the fridge. You can also freeze it at this stage for use later.

Blind baking

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
2. Line the chilled pastry case with a sheet of greaseproof paper or parchment, and some baking beans.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the pastry is set and has turned a light golden colour. Remove the paper and beans. Your case is now ready for filling.

All these quiches are great with a tossed green salad and crusty French bread

Quiche Lorraine
Serves 6

You will need a 20-23cm (8-9in) baked pastry case

1 onion, chopped
100g unsmoked bacon, diced (normal rashers are better than streaky for this)
small knob of butter
284ml tub of single cream or double cream
2 eggs
50g Gruyère cheese, grated
black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Melt the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, until very soft but not at all coloured. The heat should be quite low, and covering the pan will help ‘sweat’ the onion.
2. Add the bacon and cook until just done.
3. In a large measuring or pouring jug, mix together the cream, eggs and grated cheese, and season with the pepper. (You may not need salt, as the bacon and cheese can be very salty.) Tip in the onion and bacon mixture, then pour the lot into the pastry case.
4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is just set in the middle, and the top is golden.
5. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. You can also serve it completely cold.

Provençale Tart with Herbs
Serves 6

You will need a 20-23cm (8-9in) baked pastry case. If making your own pastry, add 2 tsp mixed dried herbs to the flour, before mixing in the egg yolk and water. If using ready-made pastry, simply add the herbs to the filling.

1 courgette, sliced into rounds
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150g baby plum tomatoes (or use normal cherry tomatoes)
2 eggs
284ml single or double cream
100g goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) in a roasting tin with the garlic, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast in an oven, heated to 200C/400F/gas mark 6, for about 25-30 minutes, until they are soft and beginning to colour. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
3. Spoon the vegetables into the baked pastry case then scatter over the tomatoes, pressing them gently into the vegetables. (If you are using ready-made pastry, scatter some dried herbs over the vegetables.)
4. Beat the eggs into the cream, season with a little more salt and pepper, and pour over the vegetables. Scatter over the goat’s cheese, if used, and bake for 25 minutes, or until set.
5. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving at room temperature, or serve it completely cold.

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
Serves 6

You will need a 20-23cm (8-9in) baked pastry case.

400g broccoli
284ml single or double cream
2 eggs
100g strong Cheddar cheese, grated
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2. Trim the broccoli into small florets and chop the stems. Steam for 7-8 minutes or until done but still firm. Rinse immediately under cold running water. This stops the cooking and sets the green colour. Dry on kitchen paper and spread in the base of the pastry case.
3. Mix together the cream, eggs, cheese and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour over the broccoli and bake for 30 minutes or until set. Serve warm or cold.

Baked Salmon, Dill and Potato Pie
Serves 6

You will need a 20-23cm (8-9in) baked pastry case.

750g baby new potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
6 spring onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
500g salmon fillet, skinned and cut into chunks
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
142ml single cream
1 egg
salt and pepper

1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2. Cook the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes, until just soft. Drain, rinse under cold water and cut in half or quarters, depending on size.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the potato chunks until they begin to colour. Add the spring onion and garlic, and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl and gently toss through the salmon, dill, salt and pepper. Tip into the pastry case.
5. Mix the cream and egg, and pour over the potatoes and salmon. It won’t cover them completely – the pie is supposed to be quite chunky. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Cool for 15 minutes and serve warm.

Two-haddock and Leek Quiche
Serves 6

You will need a 20-23cm (8-9in) baked pastry case

200g smoked haddock
300g unsmoked haddock
284ml single or double cream
2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and sliced
1 tbsp grainy mustard
2 eggs
knob of butter
black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.
2. Lay the fish in a high-sided frying pan and pour over the cream. Place on a medium heat and, when it just starts to plop and simmer, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to very low. Poach for 5 minutes, then drain off the cream and reserve.
3. Move the fish to a plate and, when cool enough to handle, break into large flakes, removing any bones you may find.
4. Wash out the frying pan, melt the butter and fry the leeks for about 5 minutes until soft. Mix together with the haddock.
5. Stir the mustard into the reserved cream, mix in the eggs, and season with pepper. (You may not need any salt.)
6. Spoon the fish and leeks into the pastry case and pour over the cream mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.
7. Cool for 15 minutes and serve warm.