MUSHROOM, RED ONION & TARRAGON QUICHE
THE SWEETNESS OF RED ONION IS THE PERFECT BALANCE FOR THE EARTHINESS OF THE MUSHROOMS IN THIS DISH
Serves 8–10 (see opposite)
½ quantity flaky shortcrust
pastry (page 145) Granulated sugar or baking
weights, for blind baking 3 medium red onions
2½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 tsp nigella seeds
70g unsalted butter
250g mixed mushrooms 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
5 medium eggs
240g crème fraîche
240g full-cream milk
1½ tsp fine salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
80g soft goats cheese
1. Prepare your pastry. Lightly grease a 23cm round, 3.5cm deep tart tin with a little butter. Put pastry on a lightly floured kitchen bench and roll it out into a large disc 3–4mm thick. Gently lay pastry over the tin, then use your thumb to firmly press pastry into the base. Trim off the excess pastry with a knife, leaving a little overhanging the edge to allow for shrinkage. Transfer to the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line the rested pastry case with aluminium foil and fill with granulated sugar until heaped. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 160°C, remove the foil and sugar and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until golden. If you find the middle puffs up, prick pastry a few times with a fork.
3. Cut onions in half or thirds (depending on size), leaving the skin on. Trim the top and bottom of each onion so it sits flat, then put the pieces, cut side up, in a roasting tin. Drizzle with 1½ tablespoons of oil and sprinkle the thyme and nigella seeds over the top. Divide 30g of the butter into small pieces and place on top of each onion piece. Roast for 45 minutes, or until onion is softened and slightly browned on the edges. Set aside to cool. Use a pastry brush to remove dirt from the mushrooms, then slice or shred into 3–4cm pieces. Melt 20g of the butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add half the mushrooms and half the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pan, then transfer mushrooms to a colander to drain. Repeat with remaining mushrooms, garlic and lemon juice, adding oil and butter as required.
4. To prepare custard, whisk together eggs, crème fraîche, milk, salt, pepper, lemon zest and tarragon in a large bowl. Turn the oven back up to 190°C. Squeeze out any remaining moisture from mushrooms and scatter them over the base of the tart shell. Remove the skins from the onion halves, then pat off any excess moisture with a clean tea towel. Put one onion half, cut side up, in the middle of the quiche, then arrange the remaining onions in a circle around it. Break up the goats cheese and scatter it over mushrooms and in between onions.
5. Give custard a stir to evenly disperse the ingredients, then transfer it to a jug to make filling the quiche easier. Slide out your oven shelf, place the tin on the shelf, then pour custard into the shell, being careful not to overfill it. Or fill it on the bench and carefully transfer to the oven. The custard should fill the spaces around the onions, leaving them visible at the top.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 160°C. Bake for a further 20–25 minutes, turning the tin halfway through, until the centre of the quiche feels firm but still has a slight wobble. It should be firm rather than runny, but only just cooked. Transfer to a wire rack and cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes to let custard set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keeps in the fridge for 3–4 days.