Bacon and Spinach Quiche
Nothing says Mother’s Day quite like breakfast in bed. This wonderful quiche recipe is for a family-size quiche – or you can make mini quiche’s in small 8cm dishes that are easier to handle when eating in bed!
We love our streaky bacon. Made from the belly, it is beautifully smoked, with a good layer of fat and seasoned with herbs giving it a rich smoky flavour. You can choose to use store-bought pastry or make your own. You want a really good short crust pastry. And for the spinach, you can gently wilt down fresh spinach leaves or use frozen. Just make sure you have squeezed all the moisture out so you don’t end up with a soggy crust.
Make sure you leave the quiche to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it so it has time to firm up. You can serve with some fresh dressed leaves on the side and of course, a giant cup of your mum’s favourite brew.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
210g plain flour
pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup ice-cold water (to prevent butter from melting)
1 egg, lightly beaten
FILLING
6 thin rashers of streaky bacon, cut into lardons
1 small onion finely diced
300ml cream
3 egg yolks
1 egg
salt and pepper
To make pastry, sieve flour and salt. Rub the butter through the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the water and the egg. Carefully bring in the flour mixture from the outside until the dough starts to come together. Knead very lightly, you should still see streaks of butter in the dough. Shape into a ball and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 2-3 days).
Roll out the pastry to approx 3mm thick. Press into a quiche tin or pie dish until the edges slightly overhang. Put tart case back in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Place large sheet of baking paper over the pastry case and then weigh down with baking beads, dry beans or rice. Bake in oven for 20 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce heat to 180ºC. Carefully remove the hot beads, and return to oven for 5-10 minutes until base is lightly golden. Remove from oven. It is now ready to be filled.
Reduce oven to 160ºC.
Gently saute the onions in a little oil until soft. Add the bacon and cook for another couple of minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. Blanch spinach for 5 minutes in hot water, or simply wilt in the bacon pan until soft. Put aside with the bacon mixture. Mix the cream and eggs, then season with good quality salt flakes and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Arrange the bacon mixture and spinach on the bottom of the pastry, and then pour egg mixture over the top. Cook for 40 minutes until the top is golden. The centre should still be jiggly. Let it rest for about ten minutes before removing from the pan to serve.
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Bacon & Spinach Quiche
Ingredients
- 210g plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 125g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup ice-cold water (to prevent butter from melting)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 6 thin rashers of streaky bacon, cut into lardons
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 300ml cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
Method
- To make pastry, sieve flour and salt. Rub the butter through the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the water and the egg. Carefully bring in the flour mixture from the outside until the dough starts to come together. Knead very lightly, you should still see streaks of butter in the dough. Shape into a ball and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 2-3 days).
- Roll out the pastry to approx 3mm thick. Press into a quiche tin or pie dish until the edges slightly overhang. Put tart case back in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 200ºC. Place large sheet of baking paper over the pastry case and then weigh down with baking beads, dry beans or rice. Bake in oven for 20 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce heat to 180ºC. Carefully remove the hot beads, and return to oven for 5-10 minutes until base is lightly golden. Remove from oven. It is now ready to be filled.
- Reduce oven to 160ºC.
- Gently saute the onions in a little oil until soft. Add the bacon and cook for another couple of minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. Blanch spinach for 5 minutes in hot water, or simply wilt in the bacon pan until soft. Put aside with the bacon mixture. Mix the cream and eggs, then season with good quality salt flakes and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- Arrange the bacon mixture and spinach on the bottom of the pastry, and then pour egg mixture over the top. Cook for 40 minutes until the top is golden. The centre should still be jiggly. Let it rest for about ten minutes before removing from the pan to serve.
