Leek and Perl Las Quiche with Hazelnut Pastry
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 3 leeks (about 400g untrimmed)
- 40g butter
- 3 large eggs
- 250ml whipping cream
- 30g mature Parmesan, freshly grated
- 100g Perl Las Blue Cheese
- Crumbledsea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hazelnut Pastry
- 25g whole shelled hazelnuts
- 75g plain flour
- 50g wholemeal flour
- 75g chilled butter, cubed
- 3–4 tablespoons iced water
- A deep 23-cm loose-based quiche tin
- Baking beans
How to make it
This Leek and Perl Las Quiche celebrates the flavours of Wales all in one, moreish bite. The hazelnut pastry adds a new dimension to the flavour. Serve with cider!
Making the pastry
Preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F) Gas 5.
Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes. (Turn off the oven.)
Leave to cool for a few minutes, then tip them onto a clean tea towel and rub off the skins.
Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not powdery. Then add the flours and pulse once or twice to mix.
Add the butter and pulse to incorporate, then add just enough of the iced water to bring the mixture together.
Pat the pastry into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
Prepare the filling
Meanwhile, trim the bases and cut the coarse outer leaves from the leeks. Thinly slice the leeks and rinse thoroughly to get rid of any dirt or grit.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan and fry the leeks for 5–6 minutes until beginning to soften. Season well and set aside to cool.
Roll the pastry out to a circle big enough to fit your quiche tin. Carefully lower the pastry into the tin, pressing it into the edges. Lightly prick the base with a fork.
Leave any overhanging pastry untrimmed. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven again to 190˚C (375˚F) Gas 5.
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Separate 1 of the eggs, reserve the white and beat the yolk and the other 2 whole eggs together. Measure the cream in a jug, add the beaten egg and half the Parmesan. Season with pepper and beat well.
Remove the paper and beans from the pastry case and brush lightly with the reserved egg white. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.
Trim the overhanging edge of pastry with a sharp knife.
Fill and bake
Scatter half the blue cheese in the pastry case, spoon over the leeks, then cover with the remaining blue cheese.
Carefully pour the egg and cream mixture evenly over the top (only use as much as you need to fill the case).
Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan. Bake for about 35–40 minutes until the top is puffed up and lightly browned.
Leave the Perl Las Quiche to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
What to drink
Cider is always good with leeks. Or try a smooth dry white wine like an oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Chenin Blanc.
Recipe courtesy of:
Fiona Beckett’s Cheese Course
by Fiona Beckett
Photography by Richard Jung
Published by Ryland Peters & Small
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