All cheese quiche

I haven't read the history of quiche, and I promise I will, but every time I make one, I always think of it as a byproduct dish or even a “back to basics” dish. Why? Well, every time I make it, it is made from something that has been standing in the fridge for some time. It is not bad, but you need cook it. Most often it happens with cheese – we love cheese, but there are always leftovers from parties or even everyday consumption (that is one of the milk products we like to use). There is always a piece of brie, some Emmental, something from the blue cheese section, and so on. As I hate to throw out food, I try to make the best of it and in this case – quiche is the thing. It is simple to make and is filling. The only thing it needs is a bowl of salad. And it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So basically – it is as good as it gets. Everyone loved this one – even reheated on the third day it tasted amazing.

Ingredients

Pate brisee:
70 g polenta
220 wheat flour
pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt or salt with Mediterranean spices
200 g cold butter, pieces
110 - 125 ml water

filing:
3 eggs
300 g whipping cream
200 g soft rind cheese as brie, Camembert, St.Germain, Tallegio etc.
100 g medium hard cheese as Emmental, Maasdamer etc
100 g drained canned white beans
40 g pine nuts
small handful rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
sea salt to taste

Prepare

Prepare the tart shell. In a mixer bowl, put the flour, polenta, sugar and salt. Start mixing with paddle attachment and add pieces of butter. Turn the speed up and mix until fine breadcrumbs appear. You can do the same in the blender. Then add water and mix until a ball forms, but you can still see some butter pieces. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Maybe an hour, but I don't like to chill it more.

If you do it by hand, mix the flour, salt and sugar together, and grate the butter on a course grater into the flour. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Then add the water and mix to a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200°. Butter a 23/25 cm tart form. Roll out the dough and place in the pan. Press the sides of the dough to the pan and cut the excess dough off. Prick with a fork, lay baking paper on top and fill with baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes. Then take the pan out, remove the baking beans and paper, and bake for another 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix eggs with salt, but not too much – just to the stage they are completely mixed (like making an omelet). Add cream and mix again for 10 seconds.

Take the pan out of the oven, lower the heat to 180 degrees. Add cheese, beans, and nuts to the pan. Sprinkle with rosemary leaves. Pour over the egg mixture and put the pan back in the oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden (do not over bake). Sprinkle some pepper before serving

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s