A perfectly English Asparagus Quiche with Stilton, encased in light, crisp shortcrust pastry. Easy to make. Gluten Free Pastry Recipe included.
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Asparagus Quiche with Stilton – A favourite seasonal lunch
Asparagus Quiche with Stilton is one of my favourite Spring lunches. Although we now have a global economy that gives access to asparagus all year round, nothing beats local and seasonal. And I am lucky enough to live in the ‘Garden of England’ (Kent, UK) offering the most amazing annual asparagus fest.
Every year from the end of April, dozens of hand-made signs appear proclaiming the British Asparagus season has arrived. The invitation to buy this succulent, delicate green vegetable is too good to miss. Whether from stalls on country lanes or main roads… farms or farm shops, we stop and buy our delicious green sticks.
Paired with earthy blue cheese in soft, savoury egg custard and encased in crisp gluten free shortcrust pastry, the asparagus is divine.
What is Asparagus?
Asparagus grows as tender ‘spears’ and is recognisable by its pointed, scaled tips, which are often lightly purple in colour. An herbaceous perennial from the lily family, it is edible as young shoots. If not picked in time, it quickly grows out of control to become a large fern-like plant, unrecognisable from the delicious vegetable we enjoy.
Asparagus grows the world over, but needs a temperate climate to thrive. As the ground thaws and warms in Spring, the spears make their appearance. Some thin and some thick, they are harvested at 15 to 20 cm tall. It is prized for its delicate taste, but is also low in calories. Plus, it has plenty of fibre and is packed full of vitamins and minerals.
The season is short however… In the UK, it generally only lasts from the end of April to June. But with its delicately fragrant and tender stalks, we always wait eagerly… Waiting for signs that tell us the fresh picked bunches have arrived.
Asparagus & Stilton… A Very English Quiche
Asparagus always strikes me as a very English vegetable, despite its roots in southern Europe. Indeed, paired with a strong blue Stilton Cheese, this quiche feels very English!
Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the UK since the 18th Century. Known for its distinctive strong smell and taste, it has a slightly knobbly, creamy texture and a musty, deep flavour. It seems to be particularly popular at Christmas and is often snapped up by visiting tourists as a taste of England to take home with them.
But with asparagus, it finds a soulmate. And Asparagus Quiche with Stilton showcases the marriage perfectly… The soft mustiness of the cheese sits beautifully against the subtly sweet, slightly firm bite of tender Asparagus tips… Seasonal luxury for a delicious late spring lunch.
What is the best pastry for making Asparagus Quiche with Stilton?
Asparagus Quiche with Stilton demands a crisp, shortcrust pastry to set against the silkiness of the cheese, the pillowy egg custard and the soft, succulent bite of the asparagus.
If you are able to eat wheat, just use your favourite shortcrust pastry recipe.
For the rest of us gluten avoiders and Coeliacs, you need a good, reliable shortcrust recipe that holds its shape and bakes whole. When making quiche (asparagus or otherwise), the pastry case needs to be secure. A leaky base will result in the liquid filling being lost to the tray.
Fortunately, my Alchemistic obsession has you covered… I’ve already written a super-helpful step-by-step guide to making the BEST shortcrust pastry. Unlike many gluten free shortcrust pastry recipes which rely on loads of xanthan gum to hold them together (resulting in ‘bendy’ soft pastry), my recipe (which uses Gluten Free Alchemist flour blend B) is malleable and easy to use, yet still bakes crisp and light.
Alternatively, my Gluten Free Almond Pastry works a treat too for quiches!
Why blind-bake pastry for Asparagus Quiche?
Blind-baking (which basically means baking the pastry first, weighted by baking beans) is extra important when making quiche. If the pastry isn’t pre-baked, you’ll end up with a soggy bottom, raw pastry and Asparagus Quiche that falls apart when lifted.
But blind-baking also offers the perfect opportunity to seek and repair any cracks that might cause leaks.
Although you have (hopefully) managed to transfer your pastry to the tin successfully before blind-baking and already smoothed and covered any obvious holes, as the pastry bakes and dries, you may discover a weak point (or two). Ignore them at your peril…
Repairing cracks while the pastry is hot and bare – Top Tip
My top tip for crack repair is this…
While the pastry is still hot and BEFORE filling… simply grab a pastry brush and brush some of the prepared egg filling over the cracks. Because the pastry is hot, the egg in the filling will set and seal. Alternatively, if you have yet to make the filling, simply use a little egg white in exactly the same way.
If for any reason the brushed-on egg doesn’t set, pop it back in the oven for a few seconds to help it along. And if you aren’t confident the crack is secure, add a little more.
What equipment do I need to make Asparagus Quiche with Stilton?
To make a great Asparagus Quiche (or any other quiche for that matter), you’ll need a few kitchen essentials…
- A tart tin – Preferably loose-bottomed for easy quiche removal. Here’s the link to the one I use. Just pick the size that suits you best… I mostly make two 7-8 inch or a 9 to10 inch quiche.
- Kitchen Scales – for accurate measuring. I weigh liquids as well as solids. For milk and cream, 1ml = 1g. If you do a lot of baking, I thoroughly recommend investing in some dual platform scales. The microscale is brilliant for measuring yeast and small quantities accurately.
- A good electric kitchen whisk is a must to get the eggs light and airy.
- Mixing bowls – Sadly, my trusty Joseph Joseph mixing bowls don’t seem to be made any more… But it really helps to have a mixing bowl with a pouring spout when making quiche. It enables the mixture to be transferred straight to the tart without spilling.
- If you plan to bake tarts and pies on a regular basis and you haven’t got any ceramic baking beans, it’s worth getting some. Although dried pulses, beans and rice can be used as an alternative, they are simply not as heavy or effective.
- And, of course… a rolling pin. Use the one you like best. However… I’ve tried every new-fangled rolling pin on the market… When it comes to gluten free pastry, a traditional wooden rolling pin still works the best.
Have you made my Asparagus Quiche with Stilton?
So here it is… My Asparagus Quiche with Stilton and gluten free shortcrust pastry. Make it, love it, share it! Leave a comment… Rate the recipe… Tag me on social media with your fabulous photos too…
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For lots of other savoury pastry inspiration, head over to the Savoury Pies and Pastries Index. And for everything else… The Recipe Book Index will take you where you want to be.
Thanks for visiting Gluten Free Alchemist. We hope to see you again soon
Other quiches you might love…
Asparagus Quiche with Stilton
Key equipment
- sharp vegetable knife
- flat-bladed knife
- Small saucepan
- oven + hob
- cling film (opt)
- fridge
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 500 g shortcrust pastry dough Approx weight – See separate recipe card in blog post (or link in NOTES below) for gluten free shortcrust recipe.
Asparagus and Stilton Quiche Filling
- 130 g Stilton cheese or an alternative strong blue cheese – crumbled into cube-sized pieces.
- 200 g Asparagus tips
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 3 large eggs UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’) OR 1 medium to large goose egg.
- 250 ml/g double cream
- 50 ml/g milk
- salt & pepper to season
Instructions
Roll the pastry and make pie base
- Make the shortcrust pastry dough first (see separate recipe).
- Lay down and lightly flour (with corn starch/flour) either a large sheet of cling film or baking paper (see NOTES).
- If making a single quiche, place all the pastry on top of the floured surface, or divide into separate pieces if making more than one (to avoid over-working the pastry). Flatten slightly and lightly flour the top.
- Roll the pastry out to a thickness of 2 to 3 mm, checking the shape as you roll to ensure it will fit the tin (including the sides).
- Carefully lift the pastry with the support of the rolling pin and lay over the flan tin (or use the cling film-flip method as in the NOTES).
- Working quickly, ease the pastry into the base, gently moulding into the sides of the tin with flat fingers. Try to avoid cracking the pastry too much, but don't worry if it does crack as gluten free pastry is very forgiving and can be easily 'patched'.
- Trim the pastry edge flush with the top of the tin, using a sharp knife.
- Carefully examine the pastry base for any cracks or holes. If there are any, use the trimmed, remains to ‘repair’.
- To repair : Roll and trim a piece of pastry dough to rough size, and using cold water, dampen both the area around the crack/hole and the down-side of the ‘patch’ and gently press together. Smooth the edges with a finger dipped in water to seal and tidy. This is particularly important if you are making the quiche in a potentially-leaky tin.
Chill the pastry base
- Place the prepared flan pastry in the fridge for half an hour to chill prior to baking.
- While chilling, pre-heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 5.
Blind-Bake the Pastry Cases
- Prick the base of the pastry with a fork a few times across the surface. This will help avoid the pastry 'bubbling' and puffing up).
- Scrunch and then flatten a piece of baking paper large enough to fit the tin and lay inside the flan case(s).
- Fill the pastry base with baking beans on top of the paper.
- Bake the pastry with the baking beans for 10 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and remove the baking beans (lifting them on the baking paper and carefully pouring into a heat-proof container to cool). Discard the baking paper.
- Place the uncovered pastry base(s) back in the oven for a further 7 to 10 minutes, checking they are dry but do not burn.
- While the pastry base is cooking, prepare the filling.
Preparation of Asparagus and Stilton Filling
- Crumble the blue cheese into small pieces and set aside.
- Cut off and remove any hard base of the asparagus tips (these will be too 'woody'). Then cut the spears into lengths of about 2 centimetres (stalks only), and leave the flowery tips whole. Reserve a few full length spears to decorate the top of the quiche.
- Put a little drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan and gently sauté the cut Asparagus over a high heat for a couple of minutes to seal in the flavour and soften slightly.
- When this process is complete, remove the asparagus from the pan and set aside.
- By the same method, lightly sauté the reserved whole Asparagus tips. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk and seasoning together in a bowl until well combined, light and airy
Re-checking the pastry case for cracks
- When the pastry cases are cooked, remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Re-examine the pastry for any obvious cracks where the filling may leak. TIP : If you find any cracks, use a pastry brush to brush a little of the egg mixture (or some extra egg-white) over the crack and let the heat from the hot pastry set and seal (or place back in the oven to set for a few seconds if it isn't setting).
- Make sure the pastry base (in the tin) is placed on a baking tray (in case of any leaks during cooking), ready to fill.
Fill and Cook the Quiche
- When the pastry cases are ready, sprinkle the blue cheese and cut asparagus pieces evenly over the base.
- Pour the whisked egg-cream mixture over the top until the case is almost full.
- Decorate by arranging the remaining longer Asparagus tips across the top.
- Bake in the oven immediately for about 30 minutes until the top is set and there is no ‘wobble’ to the wet mixture.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before taking out of the tin. Eat warm or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Basic Gluten Free Shortcrust Pastry
Key equipment
- large bowl
- small bowl
- fork
- flat table knife
- pastry blender optional
Ingredients
- 220 g Gluten Free Rice Free Flour blend GFA Blend B – See NOTES
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp fine sea salt (for savoury pastry) OR 1 tbsp icing sugar (for sweet pastry)
- 55 g unsalted butter cold and very small-cubed (or dairy free block alternative)
- 55 g lard/Trex cold and very small-cubed
- 1 large egg UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
- 2 tbsp very cold water (up to 2½ if more needed)
Instructions
- Weigh the flours, xanthan gum and salt (or sugar) into a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined.
- Add the butter and lard/Trex (both cut into very small cubes) to the bowl.
- Chill the bowl with the ingredients for about half hour, before rubbing the fat the into the flour mixture using finger tips or a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (See Main BLOG POST for tips).
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp of very cold water and then pour into the crumb mixture.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the crumb mixture using a table knife until it begins to clump together.
- At this stage, set the dough aside (at room temperature unless in a very warm room/climate, in which case, refrigerate) to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This will enable the dough to fully absorb the liquid.
- Once 'rested', start to bring the dough together with hands. If the dough feels very dry, add a little more very cold water (a tiny bit at a time) and work it into the dough with the knife. If it feels very sticky, add a tiny sprinkle more flour and work through with hands.
- Bring the mixture together and press into a ball.
- If not using immediately, wrap and refrigerate. And when ready to use, take from the fridge, bring to room temperature and knead very lightly to enable it to become 'rollable'.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Asparagus Quiche with Stilton shared with
- Cook Blog Share Week 19 2021 with Sew White
- Fiesta Friday #375 with Angie
- Blogger’s Pit Stop #269
- Full Plate Thursday #530 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- What’s for Dinner #311 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Sunday’s on Silverado #35 with The House on Silverado
- Cook Well Eat Well Live Well
This looks so yummy!! I love these flavours together
Thanks Kat… It’s a favourite here, I always get stupidly excited when Asparagus season arrives xx
Love asparagus in a quiche. The recipe looks delicious. Will try this soon!!
Thanks Sheeba
It’s one of my favourite recipes. Anything with asparagus is delicious. xx
Tis the season for asparagus!
Oh yes! And long may it last xxx