Foragers Quiche
This tart incorporates many of my favourite wild foods from early spring with the first of the spring onions of the season. Feel free to vary the greens depending on season and availability, the flavour will be a surprise every time.
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
60
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
90
MINUTES
Ingredients
For the pastry
225g flour
a pinch of salt
110g butter
1 egg, beaten
For the filling
150g young nettles or a mixture of nettles and sea spinach
25g butter
25g spring onions
10g watercress or wild garlic leaves in season (allium ursinum)
flaky sea salt and fresh ground pepper
3 organic eggs
100ml milk
250ml crème fraîche
grated zest from one organic lemon
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
25g chives
50g grated Parmesan
50g grated Gruyère
pinch of cayenne
1 x 23cm quiche tin
Method
First make the shortcrust pastry.
Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and then rub in with your fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt, the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop.
Whisk the egg or egg yolk and add some water. Using a fork to stir, add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect it into a ball with your hands, this way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper, shorter crust.
Flatten into a round, wrap the pastry in parchment paper and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will make the pastry much less elastic and easier to roll.
Next, line the tart tin with the pastry. Chill and rest. Line with parchment paper, fill with beans and, in a preheated moderate oven 180°C/Gas Mark 4, blind bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool.
Meanwhile, blanch the nettles in boiling, salted water for a minute. Drain and refresh under cold water, drain again and chop. Destalk and chop the sea spinach if using and add to the nettles.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan over a gentle heat. Add the spring onions and sweat for 4 or 5 minutes. Add the watercress or wild garlic and well-drained nettles or sea spinach (if using). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to mix and remove from the heat.
Whisk the egg in a bowl with the milk and crème fraîche. Add the finely grated lemon zest, thyme leaves, chives and grated cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and a little cayenne.
Add the greens. Taste and correct the seasoning. (I find it really worthwhile to cook off a spoonful of the mixture in a frying pan to check the seasoning.)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Pour or spoon into the tart shell and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the tart is set and slightly gold. Remove from the tin. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature with a little grating of Parmesan on top.
