Jun
I’m kind of a quiche-obsessed person. Because I think it’s a very good nourish breakfast, like a breakfast 3-in-1. It’s also such a fun thing to choose pie filling. Fish or meat, or just vegetables… Vegetable pies are my favourites (like Spinach-Feta pie or Quiche Lorraine).
I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat meat very often. To be honest, I forgot when I ate red meat the last time. That’s why I’m a huge fish lover!
Yesterday while thinking about what to make for breakfast I decided to make quiche with white fish. I added a bit of asparagus because it’s in season and I always have it in the kitchen.
If I talked about my favourite kind of dough I’d say I’m in love with shortcrust pastry. I love this crust, how it melts in your mouth, how it tastes with savoury vegetable or sweet berry juicy filling.
It was always one of the hardest kind of dough. But as for now I made so many pies that my husband often calls me “quiche queen”. It’s not true of course, but I’m so glad that we’ve reached good relationship with shortcrust pastry. It is based on some very important rules which I wrote in details in the recipe below. I also made a lot of photos for you can see how it is made. So please read thoroughly and don’t hesitate to try a lot several times and ask me of course! It will be a perfect crust one day.
White Fish Quiche with Asparagus
(30 cm in diameter) Shortcrust pastry: 210 g flour 110 g cold butter 2-3 tbsp ice water 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp icing sugar pinch of sea salt Fish filling: 2 medium sea breams (or any white fish) 250 g of asparagus (1 bunch) 4 eggs 2-3 tbsp soured cream
At first, prepare the dough. Cut the cold butter into small cubes. Sift flour onto working surface, then rub it in the butter with the knife until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add salt, egg yolk and ice water. Knead the soft dough very quickly. The ingredients (butter and water) must be very cold. That’s why you should place them into the fridge for 1 hour before cooking. Also you must knead the dough very quickly, because if the butter begins to melt, the dough won’t have the desired consistency. Those are important rules, if you want to make really good crusty pie pastry.
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out. It’s really simpler to roll out your dough this way. If the paper slides on the table, sprinkle a little flour under it, it will be easier. Cut a circle from dough and gently place it to the floured baking pan. This dough is fat enough, so you shouldn’t grease the pan, just sprinkle with flour. Put it into the fridge for about 1 hour.
I usually prepare this dough in the evening and leave in the fridge it overnight. It gives me 10-15 minutes to sleep more))
Meanwhile prepare the filing. Use any white fish you like. I used sea bream. Cut the fish fillet into pieces. Heat the frying pan, sprinkle with olive oil and fry your fish fillet about 1 minute. Add cut into pieces asparagus, mix and fry about half minute more. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.
Beat eggs and soured cream into the bowl.
Take the dough from the fridge. Place fish and asparagus filling on the dough base and smooth out with a spoon. Pour egg-sour cream mixture.
Heat the oven at 180 degrees C. Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly golden.
Serve warm. This pie is also good when it’s cooled.
