ROASTED TOMATO PANCETTA PICNIC QUICHES
As we head into summer, I’m looking forward to eating in the great outdoors. Days out at |the coast or in the countryside are made all the better if you pack a delicious homemade lunch.
Sausage rolls and sarnies are great but if you feel like trying something new why not make one of these tasty recipes for your next day trip. These quiches filled with roasted tomatoes and pancetta are perfect for a posh picnic or a nice lunch in the garden.
Moreish cheesy flapjacks will fuel you on a long walk or day out with the family and my lightly spiced rice salad is a lunchbox favourite. Just make sure you keep it well chilled in a cooler bag.
A crisp, short pastry base and a pancetta, cherry tomato and parmesan filling make these perfectly portable tartlets ideal for picnics and summer days out FOR THE PASTRY
180g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g cold butter, diced 1 medium egg yolk
FOR THE FILLING
400g pack cherry tomatoes on the vine olive oil, for drizzling
90g pack thin pancetta rashers 100g parmesan, grated
3 eggs, plus 5 egg yolks (reserve a little of the egg white for brushing) 250ml double cream
½ small pack basil, finely chopped
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
10 tartlet tins (about 7.5cm diameter each)
1
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.
2
Dry-fry the pancetta until crisp and golden. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to cool.
3
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. 4
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.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.