Garstang Blue and Asparagus Quiche
My own recipe, and recently described as 'sex on a plate!'
Makes one 18cm/ 7" flan, but freezes well, so why not double up?
Serves 2/3 as a main course, or 4/6, as a starter.
Ingredients
½ of 500g pack of Shortcrust pastry, the all butter is very good!
(You can make your own, but it's okay to cheat!)
A little plain flour
2/3 Free-range medium eggs
A splash, about 2 tbn Double cream
1 Bundle of new season English asparagus
1 Bunch spring onions (Not critical!)
Pat of butter, or sprinkle of oil (Not critical!)
100g / 4oz Dew-Lay Garstang Blue Cheese, roughly cubed
50g / 2oz Lancashire crumbly cheese, grated or crumbled
Good grind of black pepper
Pinch of rock, or sea salt
Pinch of parsley, freshly chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 220c/ 425f/ gas mark 7
1. If you are using spring onions, for additional flavour, remove the root end of four, and thinly chop rings of the white part, up to the green bit. (The green bits can go in a salad, or mashed spuds!) Pop the onions into a pan, with a splash of oil, or pat of butter, and, as soon as they start to sizzle, turn the heat off, and cover, they will cook in
their own heat.
2. Taking the asparagus, place on a chopping board and cut through the bottom end to remove the 'woody' part, usually about a third of the way up the stem. Throw away.
Cut the remaining two thirds in half, and place in a pan, just covering with boiling water, and allow to simmer for 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and place onto kitchen towel, to dry, and cool.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, and season with the pepper, and a little salt.
4. Taking the pastry, sprinkle the work surface with a little flour, and roughly form the pastry into a circle, before rolling out, to about the thickness of a pound coin. Place into the flan tin, trim and crimp the edges. (Use the trimmings to make a few jam tarts, or mini quiches!)
5. If using the onions, place them on pastry base. Then top, or start with, the asparagus tips, and as much of the remaining stem as is tender. Sprinkle with the Garstang Blue, and then gently pour the egg mixture over the whole lot, but don't overfill, as it will rise up. Finish with the grated Lancashire crumbly. Gently shake tin to ensure the filling is evenly distributed.
6. Pop into the hot oven, and after about 5minutes, reduce the temperature down to 200c/400f/ gas mark 6, and cook for a further 15 - 20 minutes, until golden, but still slightly wobbly in the centre, as it will continue to cook, once out of the oven. Insert a sharp knife into the middle; if this comes out 'clean', the quiche is cooked.
7. As you take the quiche out of the oven, immediately sprinkle with the chopped parsley, which will 'stick' to the top of the quiche.
Delicious served warm, with buttery, new potatoes, and a crisp salad, particularly with peppery leaves, like rocket.