Easter Quiche
Buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a set egg and cream custard, smoky lardons, and green asparagus for an elegant spring table this Easter. The pastry is properly crumbly, the filling is rich and savoury, and the asparagus keeps just enough bite to remind you it's in season.
Ingredients
For the pâte brisée
- 250 gr plain flour
- 125 gr unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
- 1 pinch salt
- 50 ml water add gradually
- 1 egg yolk =20 g
For the filling
- 200 gr vegetarian lardons smoked
- 300 gr green asparagus
- 4 eggs
- 200 ml crème fraîche
- 100 ml whole milk
- 80 gr Gruyère cheese
- salt and black pepper
For the top
- 3 eggs hard-boiled and halved lengthways
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
- 3 sprigs dill
Instructions
1. Make the pâte brisée / shortcrust pastry
- Follow the shortcrust pastry method: rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until sandy, add the egg yolk and cold water, and bring together into a disc without overworking. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Blind bake
- Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Roll the pastry to about 3mm and line the fluted dish, pressing into the edges. Trim, prick the base, line with parchment and baking beans. Blind bake 15 minutes, remove beans and parchment, and bake a further 5 minutes until dry and lightly golden. Reduce oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
3. Prepare the asparagus and lardons
- Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and peel the lower third. Blanch in salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and plunge into cold water. Drain and pat dry. Crisp the lardons in a dry pan for 5 minutes.
5. Make the custard
- Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche and milk until smooth. Season with pepper and a little salt. Stir in most of the Gruyère, keeping some back.
6. Assemble
- Scatter the lardons over the base. Arrange the asparagus like spokes. Pour the custard over, right to the top. Scatter the remaining Gruyère. Nestle the halved eggs on top, cut-side up.
7. Bake
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until just set with the faintest wobble in the centre and golden on top. Cover the edges loosely with foil if browning too fast.
8. Garnish and serve
- Cool 10 minutes to settle. Scatter with parsley and dill just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Blind baking will help keeps the base crisp under the wet filling.
- Blanch the asparagus briefly, still with bite, since it finishes cooking in the oven.
- Use smoked lardons (or smoked vegetarian bacon); the smokiness balances the rich custard.
- Don't overbake: pull it with a faint wobble in the centre; it sets as it cools.
- Gruyère is the classic; Comté works just as well.