Cheesy-quichy-souffly: a quiche recipe with a difference
A quiche which thinks it’s a soufflé – this has a lovely, light, fluffy texture. But even if you have a disaster with the eggs, and get a bit of yolk in the whites when you separate them – or, as I did once, you drop a bit of cream into the whites, it still comes up light… just not quite so soufflé-like!
Do not be tempted to make a smaller one, because the following day, when cold, it has a more intense flavour, it is more ‘solid’ and it is perfect for picnics, lunch boxes etc…
It goes very well with our easy lamb’s lettuce and tomato salad. Alternatively take a look at our other salad recipes.
Cheesy-quichy-souffly
Serves – 8
Ingredients
Ingredients for the pastry:
- 320g ready rolled shortcrust pastry
- 3 tsp good paprika
- just under ½ cup/50g grated gruyère (buy a 200g pack)
Ingredients for the pie:
- 4 eggs – separated
- 2 cups/150g grated gruyère
- 200g/8 oz feta – crumbled
- 1 tbsp grainy mustard
- 280ml/10 fl oz/1¼cups double cream
- smoked salt, tellicherry pepper (this has a bold and fruity taste which goes well with the strong cheese and the tomatoes – but you only need one or two crushed pepper corns, no more)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 210°C.
- Unroll the pastry, sprinkle with the paprika and the cheese, fold over, roll out and put into a greased quiche dish (a glass one is best), prick a few times (this helps to stop bubbling, especially if you are not baking blind).
- Bake blind for 15 minutes …. or… if you have an Aga you can simply put in bottom of simmering oven, 120°C for 1¼-1½ hours.
- Separate the eggs.
- Whisk the whites till they are stiff in a large metal bowl.
- Mix the yolks, the mustard, the cream and the seasoning, then mix in the two cheeses.
- Fold the egg whites in as you would a soufflé with a metal spoon, keeping the whole thing as light as you can.
- Pour into the pastry (hopefully cooled a little, but, as we all know, Life Is Too Short).
- Put the whole thing back into the oven for 25 minutes, keeping a good watch on it, as 220°C is very hot!
- Serve.
You may also like…
Our other vegetarian recipes
To explore our posts on specialist cheeses
