Cheesy-quichy-souffly: a quiche recipe with a difference

Clare

12 years ago

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.