You will need
1 cup (120 g) cake flour
½ t (2,5 ml) salt
4 T (60 g) butter, fridge temperature
1 egg yolk
2 T (30 ml) cold water
1 T (15 ml) brandy or vodka (optional)
4 leeks, well washed and finely sliced
1 raw potato, peeled and grated
1 T (15 ml) oil
1 T (15 ml) butter
400 g tinned salmon, drained, skin and hard bones removed. Flake the fish.
½ cup (125 ml) Ementhaler or Gouda cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream or créme fraiche or use ½ yoghurt and ½ cream
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh full cream milk
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman’s Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
The reason for the brandy! When adding too much water to pastry it becomes tough and shrinks in the oven. Because of the alcohol in the brandy a large part of the liquid evaporates during baking – this keeps the pastry light and prevents shrinking.
Method
Pastry
Sift the flour and salt twice and cut or rub in the butter to form coarse crumbs. Mix the egg yolk with cold water and brandy and add to the flour. Cut the liquid in with a small knife to form a lumpy mixture. Use your hands to gather and knead the mixture together until it forms a ball. Don’t add more water, simply keep working the dough lightly.
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in a cool place (in cooler weather, it is best not to put it in the fridge, as the pastry can become too hard and brittle). Roll out to 1 cm thickness. Fold into thirds and roll out again to 2 mm thickness on a well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. (The preliminary rolling makes the dough much easier to handle.)
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the pastry blind for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 170°C.
Filling
Sauté the leeks and grated potato in the oil/butter mixture for about 3 minutes until soft.
Add the flaked salmon and keep on one side. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the baked pastry shell. Top with the leek and salmon mixture. Beat the eggs, cream, milk and Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning together. Pour the egg mixture carefully over everything.
Bake at 170°C for ± 35 minutes until barely set. Switch off the oven, leave the door slightly open and let the quiche rest in the still warm oven for another 15 minutes.
Serve with a watercress and rocket salad dressed with our Reduced Oil Greek Dressing mixed ½ and ½ with plain yoghurt.
Variation:
Replace salmon with tuna or cooked leftover chicken.