FOOLPROOF PICNIC: 60 delightful dishes to enjoy outdoors by Marina Fillippelli (Qaudrille) Photography: Laura Edwards
Leek & Stilton Quiche With Walnut Pastry
Unashamedly old-fashioned flavours that are still deliciously comforting: guaranteed to entice any quiche sceptics out there.
Serves
8-10
Prep
20 mins + chilling time
Cook
1 hour 10 mins
Ingredients
- For the pastry
- 200g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 50g shelled walnuts, whizzed in a food processor until finely ground
- 75g salted butter, cubed and well chilled
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp chilled water
- For the filling
- 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
- 30g unsalted butter
- 500g leeks, cut into 1cm rounds
- 120g Stilton or other blue cheese such as Oxford Blue
- 50ml whole milk
- 150ml double cream
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- For the pastry, blitz the flour, ground walnuts and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and chilled water and pulse until the pastry comes together into a ball. Add a little extra water if the pastry is still too crumbly. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/400F/gas 6. Roll the chilled pastry out on a floured surface and use to line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin, trimming off any excess. This pastry can be quite crumbly to work with, so if it breaks, simply patch up any holes or cracks with extra pastry. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork, then line with baking paper, fill with ceramic baking beans/pie weights (rice or dry pulses also work) and cook the pastry for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, tip out the baking beans and discard the paper. Break the eggs for the filling into a large jug (pitcher) and lightly beat with a fork. Lightly brush the base of the pastry case with a little of the beaten egg and return to the oven for five to seven minutes for the pastry to get some colour and to seal the base. Set aside. Reduce the oven to 180C (160C fan)/ 350F/gas 4.
- Meanwhile start making the filling. Melt the butter in a large frying pan with a lid over a low heat. Add the leeks and one tablespoon of water. Season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender. Spoon the leeks into the pastry case, making sure they’re evenly distributed, then crumble in the Stilton. Use a wooden spoon to stir the milk and double cream into the jug with the eggs. Season, then slowly pour the mixture into the pastry case.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is just set in the middle (a slight wobble is good). Leave to cool on a wire rack. I like to keep the tart in the tin to make it easier to transport. The tart will keep for one day at room temperature.
FOOLPROOF PICNIC: 60 delightful dishes to enjoy outdoors by Marina Fillippelli (Qaudrille) Photography: Laura Edwards
