Courgette flower and goat’s cheese quiche

Serves: 0
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
  • For the pastry:
  • 300g plain flour
  • 150g butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp cold water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • For the filling:
  • 1 log of goat’s cheese, cut into 1cm slices
  • 10-15 whole basil leaves
  • 5 courgette flowers
  • 3 eggs plus one 1 yolk
  • 250ml cream
  • Salt and pepper

1 Grease a 9 inch tart tin, preferably one with a removable base.
2 Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs, add the yolk and mix to combine, adding some cold water incrementally if needed to bring the dough together. Don't overwork the dough. Wrap it in cling film or parchment paper and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, get your filling ready. Whisk the eggs with the cream and season well with salt and pepper.
4 Roll the pastry on a well-floured surface into a circle wider than your tart tin, to about 5mm thick. Using your rolling pin, fold the pastry over the rolling pin and lift it into the tart tin.
5 Gently press the pastry into the edges of the tart tin. Trim the edges. Line with parchment paper and baking beans or rice and blind bake in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius, or equivalent, for 15 minutes.
6 Remove the parchment when the edges are just starting to brown and the base looks dry. Bake for another five minutes, brushing with egg wash for the last two minutes. You don't want to over bake it as it'll be going back in with the filling.
7 Place the goat's cheese slices, courgette flowers and basil in an even layer on the base. Bring the tart over to the oven and place on the middle rack.
8 Carefully pour in the filling, then slide the quiche into the oven and bake until golden brown on top and just set.
9 Leave to cool for a few minutes before cutting. Serve warm.

Jess Murphy

Jess Murphy

Jess Murphy, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a Kiwi chef living on the west coast of Ireland