Quiche is a UK summer staple and the official dish of King Charles’ coronation this year. Whether it's for a light weeknight meal, a family picnic or a celebratory street party, the classic quiche is a dish to take pride in perfecting. Follow these six tips from MasterChef finalist Mike Tomkins to make a quiche to remember.
Tip 1 — Play with classic combinations
If there's a classic dish you love, the chances are these flavours will work amazingly well in a quiche. One of my favourites is stilton, mushroom and red pepper, the perfect combo.
Tip 2 — Quality eggs
This is so important for a quiche and will make a real difference in your end result. Typically, dark golden egg yolks are a good indicator that the chickens have eaten a nutrient-rich diet and will leave you with a vibrant-looking quiche.
Tip 3 — Cook to temperature, not time
Regularly probe your quiche with an instant-read thermometer as you're nearing the end of your cook. I use a Thermapen. You want the centre of the quiche to read 68 °C before removing it from the oven, and, importantly, allow your quiche to rest for around 45 minutes. During this time, the quiche will continue cooking and firm up, leaving you with the perfect texture!
Tip 4 — Blind bake your crust
We all know that the crust is one of everyone's favourite parts when it comes to a quiche, so to make sure you nail this all-important element, blind-bake your crust in the tin whilst weighing it down for a few minutes. This will ensure you have a perfectly even and flaky finish.
Tip 5 — Think about your fillings
If you've got fillings that hold a lot of moisture, think about cooking them off before combining them with your quiche mix. Mushrooms, for example, hold a lot of moisture which is released through cooking, so it’s best to cook these first. This is also a great chance to pack in even more flavour!
Tip 6 — Season well
We've all had a slightly bland quiche before, and there's nothing worse. To avoid this classic trap, take a little of your egg mixture and fry it in a pan until cooked through. Taste it for seasoning, and this will give you a good indicator of whether you've nailed that seasoning or if it needs another pinch of salt.
Mike Tomkins
Masterchef 2021 Runner Up - @thenotecook
"Thermapen is one of those kitchen tools I can't live without - it's something I use every single day from making sauces, to bbq cooking, to private dining and events, it comes with me everywhere! A Thermapen will improve you as a chef and a cook by taking the guess work out of complex cooking."
