The King’s Coronation Quiche

BY DENISE PHILLIPS

The King’s Coronation weekend commences Friday 5 May and will be a huge national celebration throughout the country with street parties and personal gatherings. The recipe ‘Du jour’ is quiche. The Coronation quiche recipe was chosen by the Queen Consort as a way of marking the occasion. It is a short crust pastry recipe filled with spinach, broad beans, and fresh tarragon. A recipe that can easily be made kosher and perfect over Shabbos as it can be enjoyed hot, cold or warm with salad.

Although quiche is known as a dish of classic French cuisine, historical records indicate that quiche actually originated in the Middle Ages in Germany which the French later occupied and renamed Lorraine. The word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake. The King Charles III Coronation quiche recipe is vegetarian, but it can easily be made vegan with a few substitutes. Using tofu, vegan cheese, non-dairy margarine, cornflour and plant-based milks like almond/ oat or coconut milk would create a delicious alternative.

I thought I would share some tips for the perfect quiche.

For The Pastry

• Don’t overwork the dough when making. I like to make it in the food processor.

• Use a metal tart tin with a loose base.

• Roll and handle shortcrust pastry as little as possible as overworking it can produce tough and unpleasant results.

• Don’t stretch the pastry when rolling.

• Repair tears and don’t roll too thinly as it will break and burn quickly.

• Allow a little overhang before trimming.

• Rest the pastry for about 30 minutes in the fridge before baking.

• Bake it blind for 20 minutes at 200C/400F, then remove foil and baking beans and brush the base with egg yolk to ensure it is golden and completely cooked.

• If your oven’s element is at the bottom, put your pie on the lower rack to heat its base quickly and evenly.

For The Filling

• The ratio of liquid to every egg you need is 120ml milk/ cream.

• Season well as the liquid ingredients mellow the flavours.

• The secret to keeping the filling ingredients from sinking to the bottom of this deep-dish is to beat the liquid ingredients until the mixture becomes extra-frothy using a hand mixer or a stand blender.

• Leave to rest and cool for 5 –10 minutes before cutting. It cuts best when completely cold.

Enjoy this very special Royal Occasion. Above is ‘My Coronation Quiche’ recipe.