Amazing Mushroom Quiche
·Chill the butter
Cut the butter into small pieces and place it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to get really cold – you can even leave it there for up to an hour. Once well chilled, put it into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
Bring it together into a dough
Add the flour, sugar and salt, then pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse flour with small beads of butter running through it. Gradually add water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together into a dough.
Tip:
You should still be able to see small pieces of butter in the dough – don't try to work them in completely. It's exactly these little butter pieces that give the pastry its wonderfully flaky, crisp texture.
Shape into a disc and coat with flour
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape it into a small, thick disc about 10–15 cm across, and lightly dust it all over with flour. Wrap in plastic film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Roll out the dough
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Dust the work surface with a little flour and roll the dough out to a circle roughly 30 cm in diameter.
Line the tart tin
Line a buttered and floured tart tin, about 25 cm in diameter, with the rolled-out dough – the extra dough will form the sides. Let it chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Weigh down with beans and blind-bake
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Take the pastry-lined tin out of the freezer, cover the surface with baking paper and scatter dried beans over it to weigh it down. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and lift off the paper and beans.
Prick with a fork
Prick the pastry base all over with a fork and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the surface turns lightly golden. Let it cool before filling.
Sauté the bacon, onion and mushrooms
Dice the bacon and fry it in a deep pan. Use the rendered fat to cook the onion and mushrooms afterwards. Add the finely chopped onion, then the mushrooms cut into slices or quarters. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, covered, until soft.
Creamy egg mixture
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream with a pinch of nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, then stir in the grated cheese.
Pour onto the base and bake
Spread the cooked mushroom mixture evenly over the pre-baked pastry base, then pour over the egg, cream and cheese mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes. Let the quiche cool for at least ten minutes before slicing.
Serving tip
A fresh green salad makes the perfect side to this mushroom quiche.