Classic Cheese and Onion Quiche Recipe
A cheesy shortcrust pastry filled with sweet braised onions and mature Cheddar in a rich egg custard. Adapted from Ina Paarman.
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Ingredients
Cheese Pastry
- 250 g flour
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chopped herbs rosemary & thyme – optional
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 150 gm Kerrygold butter
- 1 cup 100g grated Kerrygold 24 month mature Cheddar
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup cold water
Cheese & onion quiche filling
- 2 large brown onions chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Kerrygold butter
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 large free-range eggs
- ½ cup crème fraiche
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground white or black pepper
- 1 cup grated 24 months mature Kerrygold Cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350 F.
- You can make this by hand using a pastry cutter or in a food processor.
- Sift the flour and add this to the bowl of the food processor with the salt and cayenne and give it a 3-second mix.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the water and process briefly until just blended.
- Add the cold water while the motor is running and until the mixture just comes together into a dough. Tip this onto a well-floured surface and knead briefly to form a ball of dough.
- Roll this out to about 3mm thick and line the base of a 25cm quiche tin (this will be a little over half the dough). Allow some of the dough to hang over the sides and then trim. It will shrink back during baking. Prick the surface area of the pastry with a fork.
- Blind bake the pastry case by scrunching up a piece of baking paper and then placing this on top of the pastry. The scrunching makes it easier to reach into the corners. Fill the case with any dried bean, rice or pasta (or pastry beans if you have these) and then bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and remove the paper and filling. Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 5 – 8 minutes until it has crisped up and starts turning a golden brown.
- While the pastry is baking blind, make your filling for the quiche.
- Heat the butter and olive in a non-stick frying pan and once it starts bubbling add the onion and sauté them for about 10 minutes over low heat and until the onions are soft but not brown. Do not caramelize them. Add the garlic and set aside
- In a bowl whisk the eggs with the crème Fraiche, milk and spices.
- When the pastry comes out of the oven, sprinkle ¾ of the cheese across the base then spread the onion mix on top of that. Gently pour over the egg mixture and finally sprinkle the remaining cheese over the quiche.
- Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and firm.
Notes
A rich, cheesy quiche with buttery shortcrust pastry, sweet braised onions, and a mature Cheddar custard filling. The pastry doubles as cheese straw dough, so bake any offcuts as straws.
Place the filled quiche on a larger baking sheet before putting it in the oven in case of spills.
Use a 24-month aged Cheddar for the best flavour in both the pastry and the filling.
The leftover pastry makes excellent cheese straws. Roll out, cut into strips, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Storage: Keep leftover quiche covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating: Warm in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 15 to 20 minutes. Avoid microwaving as it will make the pastry soft. The quiche is also delicious at room temperature.
Freezing: Wrap the cooled quiche tightly in cling film and foil. Freeze for up to two months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Servings: 8