The Quiche ProjectIntroduction Basics Basics: Pastry Basics: Custard Basics: Serving Quiche 1: Quiche Lorraine Quiche 2: Roasted Leek and Blue 'Cheese' Quiche Quiche 3: Mushroom and Red Onion Quiche Quiche 4: Roasted Cauliflower and Blue 'Cheese' Quiche Quiche 5: Tomato and Olive Quiche Quiche 6: Asparagus and Pine Nut Quiche | |
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Introduction A traditional dish with a tarnished reputation is quiche. It's not the fault of bad chefs but of fashion. After being the darling of the seventies and early eighties, the quiche fell out of favour, possibly due to its association with the proto-political correctness movement - it always seemed to be the dish of choice for spineless blokes desperately trying not to offend anybody. A personal dislike of my own was the sometimes sheer egginess - the egg should provide texture, not dominate the taste. Developing a vegan version therefore sidestepped the egg problem but provided a fresh challenge: how to achieve the correct binding and texture without changing the essential nature of the dish. This leads on to a list of essential points:
Basics All quantities here and all recipes make a 10" (25cm) quiche, suitable for four people as part of a larger meal - vegetables and/or salads are good accompaniments. You'll need a 10" (25cm) flan dish. Basic pastry 3oz/85g wholemeal flour 3oz/85g self-raising flour 3oz/85g hard vegan margarine, roughly cubed salt to taste a little water This is easy to make using a food processor: add the first 4 ingredients to the processor bowl and process at high speed (using the correct attachment - plastic blades!) to obtain a breadcrumb-like texture. Reduce speed and slowly dribble in the water until the dough forms a large ball. Remove from the processor and knead manually for a couple of minutes until the dough feels moist but not sticky. Set aside for a few minutes. Form into a ball and roll out to about a 12" (30cm) round, then fit into the flan dish. The case should be pre-baked at 220°C for 10 minutes before filling. Basic custard I've tried various mixtures, but I finally settled on the simplest of all, plain soya cream. Try to get un- or lightly-sweetened - I've found that it's available in a convenient 250ml carton which is just enough. Serving Quiches should NOT be served at extreme temperatures: warm, say after 30 minutes out of the oven, is fine; cool, perhaps after over-nighting in the fridge then standing at room temperature for AT LEAST 2 hours can be even better - the flavours somehow intensify. The very best accompaniments are baby new potatoes, cooked whole in their skins and tossed with mint 'butter' (mix fresh mint, chopped medium-fine, with your best vegan margarine) and steamed asparagus spears, tossed with plain margarine. Other baby vegetables are also good: courgettes, fried in olive oil and seasoned; carrots, steamed and tossed with seasoned tarragon 'butter'; and thin green beans or sprouting broccoli, steamed and tossed in plain margarine. | |
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Quiche 1: Quiche Lorraine It is incumbent upon me to begin with an interpretation of the most famous quiche. The result is pleasingly creamy, though not, of course, in a dairy way. | |
Ingredients1 recipe basic pastry, prepared as described above 1 onion, chopped 2 tbsp sunflower oil 5 vegan rashers 4oz/110g vegan Cheddar-style 'cheese', grated 4 tbsp snipped fresh chives 250ml carton soya cream Parmazano |
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Quiche 2: Roasted Leek and Blue 'Cheese' Quiche Ah, it's good to have found a new source of blue flavour Scheese - the local health shops had simply stopped stocking it. Marvellous with roasted leeks! | |
Ingredients1 recipe basic pastry, prepared as described above 1 - 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 4oz/110g vegan blue-style 'cheese', grated 3 tbsp snipped fresh chives 250ml carton soya cream Parmazano |
Instructions
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Quiche 3: Mushroom and Red Onion Quiche Mushrooms are a classic quiche ingredient. Here, they are allowed to dominate rather than be a mere token presence. | |
Ingredients1 recipe basic pastry, prepared as described above 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion, chopped 2 tbsp vegan margarine 1lb/450g field mushrooms, chopped 4oz/110g vegan Cheddar-style 'cheese', grated 4 tbsp snipped fresh chives 250ml carton soya cream Parmazano |
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Quiche 4: Roasted Cauliflower and Blue 'Cheese' Quiche Classic flavour combinations with a twist. | |
Ingredients1 recipe basic pastry, prepared as described above 1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets, excess stalk trimmed 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin seasoning 1 generous tbsp wholegrain mustard 4oz/110g vegan blue-style 'cheese', grated 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives 250ml carton soya cream Parmazano |
Instructions
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Quiche 5: Tomato and Olive Quiche An especially creamy mixture, nicely offset by the rich/sharp/sweet/sour of the tomatoes and olives. | |
Ingredients1 recipe basic pastry, prepared as described above 6 ripe firm tomatoes, halved, de-seeded then cut into three thick strips salt 4 sun- or semi-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped 12 kalamata olives, stoned and chopped 6oz/170g vegan Cheddar-style 'cheese', grated 4 tbsp snipped fresh chives 1oz/25g pine nuts, lightly toasted 250ml carton soya cream Parmazano |
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Quiche 6: Asparagus and Pine Nut Quiche Can't go wrong with these ingredients. | |
Ingredients1 recipe basic pastry, prepared as described above 1lb/450g asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 2" (5cm) lengths 2 tbsp olive oil 4oz/110g vegan Cheshire-style 'cheese', grated 4 tbsp snipped fresh chives 1½oz/40g pine nuts, lightly toasted 250ml carton soya cream Parmazano |
Instructions
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