Description
This Savory Elegance Coronation Quiche combines a buttery homemade crust with a rich custard filling loaded with fresh spinach, sautéed leeks, sharp English cheddar, and fragrant tarragon. The quiche is blind-baked for a perfectly crisp base and then filled and baked to a creamy, flavorful finish. A sophisticated yet approachable dish perfect for brunch, lunch, or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 1 tbsp whole milk
Filling
- 6 ounces heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped, divided
- 5 ounces English cheddar cheese, grated
- 7 ounces fresh spinach, cooked and chopped
- 1 small leek, trimmed, washed and sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a food processor, combine the flour and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Add chilled, diced butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Slowly pour in the milk and pulse until a dough forms. Shape into a ball, then flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill and roll dough: Refrigerate the dough disk for 30-45 minutes. After chilling, roll out the dough on a floured board to fit your tart tin. Fit the dough into the tin, patching any cracks, and then chill again for an additional 30 minutes.
- Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the tart crust with parchment paper and fill with baking beans or pie weights. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes to set and partially cook, preparing it for the filling.
- Prepare the spinach: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C). Blanch the fresh spinach in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking, then drain thoroughly and chop. Set aside.
- Sauté the leeks: Clean and slice the leek. Heat olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat, then sauté the leek until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Mix tarragon and spinach: Combine half (1/2 tbsp) of the chopped fresh tarragon with the cooked, chopped spinach.
- Prepare the custard: In a bowl, beat together the eggs, heavy cream, kosher salt, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 tbsp chopped tarragon until well combined.
- Assemble the quiche: Sprinkle half of the grated cheddar evenly over the blind-baked tart shell. Spread the spinach and tarragon mixture along with the sautéed leeks on top of the cheese layer. Pour the egg custard mixture evenly over the filling and then scatter the remaining cheddar on top.
- Bake the quiche: Bake in the preheated oven at 325°F (163°C) for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Make sure to chill the dough thoroughly to prevent shrinking during baking.
- Blind baking is essential to avoid a soggy crust once the wet filling is added.
- Use fresh tarragon for the best aromatic flavor, but dried tarragon can be substituted if needed (reduce quantity to 1 tsp).
- For a gluten-free option, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for pastry.
- Sautéing the leeks mellows their flavor and adds depth to the filling.
- Allow the quiche to cool slightly before cutting to ensure clean slices.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Quiche
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: quiche, savory tart, spinach quiche, English cheddar recipe, brunch recipe, homemade tart crust, easy quiche, tarragon, leek, vegetarian quiche
