Potato Pastry Quiche

Thank you for all your comments on my previous post and for those of you who would like it this is my potato pastry quiche. My mum taught me to make pastry many years ago.  I was never very good at making short crust pastry, I have hot little hands, and it would split and go crumbly because I would overwork it and then I would get very cross and want to throw it in the bin.  She would constantly tell me I needed to be patient and not rush at everything like a bull in a china shop and not just about  making pastry. Now I'm sure she must have found it in a recipe book or a Women's Weekly but when showing me how to make a quiche she suggested putting a floury potato in the pastry. Now I know this probably sounds like the most bizarre thing but do know something it actually worked and I have been using it ever since and no more do I get frustrated and want to throw it in the bin.   I have since tweaked it and sometimes I will use a potato, sometimes sweet potato and sometimes a combination of the two.  It produces a much more pliable pastry and rolls out like a dream and the taste is pretty amazing too in as much as you don't notice its there, it tastes just like ordinary pastry. The other thing she taught me was not to bother faffing about blind baking your pastry.  She always put the oven on with a baking sheet inside so that as the oven comes up to temperature so does the baking sheet and when you put your quiche in the oven the hot baking sheet will seal and start to cook the bottom of your pastry (no soggy bottoms here).  Now this may have been something past down to her from my grandmother who was born in the North East and didn't like to faff but,interestingly I once saw James Martin on Saturday morning kitchen tell a top chef not to faff about blind baking and to just put a baking sheet in the oven to get hot.  At the time I thought I have been doing this for years James Martin don't you be pinching my mothers tip to avoiding a soggy bottom I don't think even Mary Berry has cottoned on to that one.

You will need a deep quiche/flan dish. I have one of these deep quiche/flan tins as it lets the air circulate whilst cooking and also helps to prevent a soggy pastry.

For the pastry you will need

4oz/1115g floury potato, sweet potato or a mixture of the two
8oz/225g plain flour (can use gluten free plain flour if needed)
4oz/115g butter/margarine
pinch of salt
small egg beaten (or 1/2 a medium/large egg beaten)


Boil the potato until soft, drain and mash (but don't add any butter or milk). If you are intending to make mash for another meal you can always make a little extra but remove the mashed potato before adding milk and butter.  Once cooked the potato will keep in the fridge for a couple of days until you are ready to make your pastry

Grease your flan/quiche tin and leave to one side.

Sift the flour into a large bowl add the pinch of salt and butter and rub together until forms a breadcrumb consistency.

Once the potato has cooled stir into the flour mixture and add the beaten egg and mix until forms a soft dough.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough. Carefully fit into the quiche/flan tin (do not trim at this pint) and put into the fridge for at least 1 hour.


For the filling you will need

6oz/165g cheddar cheese grated
1 sliced tomato
1 onion diced
3 eggs
300mls double cream 

sweat off the diced onion in a little butter until soft. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to one side to cool.

After the pastry has rested for an hour or when you are ready to bake remove from the fridge,

Preheat the oven to 180^c/350^f   at the same time add a baking sheet to the oven so that it gets hot at the same time as the oven.

In a bowl mix together the grated cheese and the onion to given an even distribution of the onion and add to the pastry case. At this point  add the sliced tomato.

In a jug add the 300mls of double cream and the three eggs ad beat together and pour into the pastry case, I also like to add a little grated nutmeg over the top at this point.

Now roll the rolling pin over the pastry case and trim off the excess pastry doing it this way should prevent any shrinkage.

Place the quiche onto the hot baking tray and bake in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes until golden brown and set but with a slight wobble.

Remove from the oven and leave in the quiche/flan tin until cooled.

So there we are a very simple spring/summer quiche to have with salad and new potato's now all we need is a bit of spring/summer  like weather to go with it.

Enjoy the rest of your week

Mx