Salmon Quiche with Leeks and Hartenberg Chardonnay
Serves 6
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
1 cup (120 g) cake flour
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ t (2,5 ml) salt
4 T (60 g) butter, fridge temperature
1 egg yolk
2 T (30 ml) cold water
Sift the flour and salt twice and cut or rub in the butter to form coarse crumbs. Mix the egg yolk with cold water and brandy and add to the flour. Cut the liquid in with a small knife to form a lumpy mixture. Use your hands to gather and knead the mixture together until it forms a ball. Don’t add more water, simply keep working the dough lightly.
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in a cool place (in cold weather, it is best not to put it in the fridge, as the pastry can become too hard and brittle). Roll out to 1 cm thickness. Fold into thirds and roll out again to 2 mm thickness on a well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. (The preliminary rolling makes the dough much easier to handle).
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the pastry blind for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 170°C.
SALMON AND CHEESE FILLING
4 leeks, well washed and finely sliced
1 T (15 ml) oil
1 T (15 ml) butter
400g left over cooked salmon or tinned salmon, drained, skin and hard bones removed & flaked.
2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) créme fraiche
¼ cup (60 ml) cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Sauté the leeks in the oil/butter mixture for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the flaked salmon and keep on one side. Once the salmon & leek mixture is cool and spread over the pastry. Beat the eggs, crème fraiche, cream, salt & pepper. Pour the egg mixture carefully over everything.
Bake at 180°C for ± 35 minutes until barely set. Switch off the oven, leave the door slightly open and let the quiche rest in the warm oven for another 15 minutes.