Savoury Afternoon Tea Picnic Tarts Quiches Recipes

SAVOURY AFTERNOON-TEA / PICNIC TARTS / QUICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly butter a 12-hole deep muffin tin.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4-5in pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles. Loosely press them into the muffin tin, retaining a frilly or wobbly edge to them, rather than pressing in firmly around the edges. Chill in the refrigerator.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole eggs and cream and season with salt and pepper. This is your basic mixture, ready to add your chosen flavours.
• If you are doing the goat cheese and tomato filling, crumble the goat cheese into the chilled pastry cases and scatter over the basil. Pour over the egg mixture and then top each tart with thin slices of tomato.
• If you are doing the ham, cheddar and mustard filling, stir the ham, cheese and mustard into the egg mixture and divide it between the chilled pastry cases.
• Place the tarts in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden and the eggs have set. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Serve warm or cold as a savoury afternoon treat.

PICNIC QUICHES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the tomatoes in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Roast for 25-30 mins until they start to shrink and darken, then remove and leave to cool.
• Dry-fry the pancetta until crisp and golden. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the pastry. In a food processor, pulse the flour and 1/2 tsp salt a few times. Add the butter and whizz for about 20 secs until you have a fine crumb. While the processor is going, add 2-3 tbsp of ice-cold water and 1 egg yolk. Mix until a dough is just formed, but do not over-process. Remove the dough, press it into a lump, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins.
• Once rested, lightly dust the work surface with a little flour and roll out the dough to a very thin layer, about the thickness of a lasagne sheet. Line each tartlet tin with pastry by cutting a circle around a plate or bowl that's slightly larger than the tins. Press the pastry into the fluted edge, allow the excess to fall over the top edge, and run the rolling pin over the tops of the tins to trim the pastry. Re-roll the pastry off-cuts until you've lined all your tins, then put in the fridge again for 30 mins or until firm.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the tart cases with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 10 mins. Remove the paper and beans, and bake for a further 5 mins until just turning lightly golden. As soon as the cases come out of the oven, brush them all over with egg white. This creates a seal to protect the pastry from becoming wet from the filling, and ensures a crisper pastry case.
• Scatter half the grated cheese and crumble the crispy pancetta into each tart case. Nestle in the roasted tomatoes, then top with the remaining cheese.
• In a jug, beat together the remaining eggs, the cream and some black pepper. Add the basil and beat again to combine. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat up, then put the quiches on the hot tray resting on the oven shelf and carefully pour the egg mix over the filling until the cases are full. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden and puffed up. Allow to cool, then chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Can be made up to a day ahead.

QUICHE SARDOU

Steps:

• Pulse butter, salt, and 1 1/4 cups flour in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add 1/4 cup ice water; pulse 1-2 times just until moistened. Turn out dough and gather into a ball, kneading once or twice. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an 11" round. Press into bottom and up sides of tart pan; trim excess. Prick bottom of shell all over with a fork and freeze 10 minutes.
• Line shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry is nearly dry, about 30 minutes.
• Beat egg yolk with 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl just to combine. Remove parchment and pie weights and brush bottom and sides of shell lightly with egg yolk mixture. Return to oven and continue baking until lightly golden, about 25 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Cook spinach and 2 Tbsp. water in a large skillet, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer spinach to a colander; reserve skillet. Drain spinach, pressing out excess liquid, then coarsely chop.
• Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add artichokes and cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 5 minutes more. Stir in chopped spinach and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture into crust.
• Whisk eggs, cream, and milk in a medium bowl and pour over vegetable mixture. Bake quiche until set and lightly golden, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Crust can be baked 1 day ahead; let cool and store tightly wrapped at room temperature. Filling can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep chilled. Return to room temperature before filling crust.