Can't get quiche right!

[StrawberrySanta]

I'm trying to make a good quiche/tart (what's the difference?) Maybe individual ones? Not sure! But anytime I make one they taste....meh?
The shortcrust pastry rises as it cooks and goes too thick. The filling rises so high during cooking then slumps down into a airy disappointment. Is my oven too hot? It also tastes so bland, I added black pepper to today's attempt and cheese.. please help! I want to make a good quiche or tart for a home made afternoon tea. Today I used pastry mix (just add water) . I did not blind bake (maybe I should?) The egg mix was 2 eggs and splash of double cream with black pepper and cheese. It tasted bland, I made 2 mini ones just to try, I managed half of one and binned the other.

You need to prick the pastry all over before blind baking.

Are you adding salt?

Try stronger cheese?

Definite 👍 to pricking the pastry and always blind baking the case first. Brush it with a little lightly beaten egg white after it has cooled ( chuck the extra yolk into the filling). Cube or crumble the cheese instead of grating it, that seems to help it not all sink in the custard and make the bottom soggy.

More salt than you think with eggs, I'm afraid - and try whisking in a little bit of mustard too.

What other ingredients do you put in your quiche?

Yes, you definitely need to blind bake. And as others have said, prick it before cooking.

If you like a punchy flavour you need to add that in. Blue cheese. Bacon. Smoked Salmon. Mustard. Etc.

Plenty of salt! Good, strong cheddar (or other).

The filling does sink. That’s why you fill it right to the top, so that when it’s cooked and cooled you’ll get a lovely crust and edge.

Oh actually do you fill it all the way?? I confess that DH makes our quiches as he is extremely good at it and I take on sous chef duties so I’m not sure now! I do know that it’s expected that the filling should settle back down, it doesn’t stay risen like a cake.

Here's a few cheffy tips 👍

Watch a few YouTube videos on how to make shortcrust pastry, you'll soon pick it up

Always blind bake your quiche base, using baking parchment and weighed down with some uncooked rice or dried pasta.

Roast off some onions, peppers or whatever you want in your quiche while your pastry base is in the oven.

Use a strong cheese, but nothing stringy like mozzarella.

Lightly season your ingredients and and add herbs/spices to your flavourings.

4 eggs per pint of cream, or reduce quantities as required

Bake quiche at 180/190 or gas 5 and check after 30 minutes, just lightly press to see if it's firm.

You could even finish the top with some more cheese and chives/roasted onion for more flavour 👍

Ohhhh I really fancy quiche now. Might get DH to make one next weekend.

Salt

Add a dash of cayenne and some nutmeg.

Add a touch of mustard - English or whole grain - to the egg / cream / cheese mix. Add a good handful of cheese over the top before baking.

I used 5 eggs and never blind bake, it’s tastes great every time.

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, quite a lot of cream and a shit ton of cheese. Chill and rest the pastry once it's in the tin for at the very least 30 mins, prick the bottom a lit. Blind bake with baking beans.

The key points are the chill/rest,which makes the pastry behave itself and not shrink, and the shit ton of cheese - that's what makes it not bland.

Oh yes definitely chill it as well.

You need stronger flavours or much more salt. Eggs and cream take a lot of seasoning. Goats cheese, sharp cheddar (like black bomber), blue cheese, pancetta, chorizo etc. The Higgidy cookbook has some great recipes. The last quiche I made from it was leek, new potato and goats cheese which had a ratio of 1 egg to 75ml of double cream for the filling (x3 for recipe) with some Dijon mustard. The leeks were cooked down in butter with lemon thyme and sage which amped up the flavour a lot. I've yet to find a quiche that doesn't work well with mint or chives too so try whatever you have to hand.

For the pastry, I rarely make my own. I usually buy pre rolled shortcrust and blind bake it with baking paper and some brown rice (keep in a jar to reuse for future baking).

Oh yes, it's no good using bland, mild cheddar - not enough flavour!

The key points are the chill/rest,which makes the pastry behave itself and not shrink

Forgot this part! Yes, always chill for at least 30 minutes in the pastry case. That's the other reason I tend to go for pre-made. I put it in the tin, patch up any cracks and leave it to rest while I sort out the filling.

Search for James Martin quiche, that never fails me!

Definitely blind bake the case first. And try some stronger flavours in your filling - broccoli and Stilton, chorizo and roasted veg, smoked bacon and mature cheddar etc.

Okay I'm ready to try again!! I'll use ready to roll of shortcrust this time for ease, so I fill the tin with the pastry then chill it for half an hour. Then prick the base with fork a few times, layer on some baking paper and dry pasta and blind bake for 10 mins. Make the filling with eggs, a lot of cream, plenty of salt and pepper, and some (or a lot!) stronger cheese. I'll try caramelised onion in it this time, and some dry mixed herbs?
I'll check out James Martin and the higgedy recipes too!

What about the tin, is the one with zig zag edges okay? Or is a round one best? How thin should I roll the pastry?

When people say prick the pastry.. does the filling not seep out?

@DementedPanda

When people say prick the pastry.. does the filling not seep out?

No! The holes join together when the pastry cooks, but stay as holes for long enough to stop the pastry puffing up.

@StrawberrySanta you need to prick the base a lot, all over, not just a few times. I use a fork and prick probably 20 - 30 times all around the base. It doesn’t matter what edge the dish has - ours is fluted which looks pretty but plain is just fine too. We roll out the pastry to a few mm - I think some people use a one pound coin as a handy guide.

We don’t use a lot of cream, just a little bit for richness, but we tend to add quite rich ingredients as I said above so we don’t like the end result to be too much. I think my favourite is broccoli and Stilton but I’m also partial to smoked salmon and dill. Caramelised onions would be nice with goats cheese.

Unfortunately my fussy children will only eat plain cheese quiche or quiche Lorraine, so I don't get to make ones with more interesting ingredients. I used to sometimes make a tuna one, but ds decided he doesn't like tuna any more .