Recipes · May
Asparagus Quiche with Fresh Herbs a French spring classic
A buttery shortcrust underneath, a creamy egg-and-crème-fraîche filling with fresh herbs, a little Gruyère on top – and the May asparagus in the middle. Lukewarm with a green salad, it's my perfect May supper.
A French spring classic · the finished quiche
Ingredients – 6–8 slices
Servings: 6–8 slices · Prep: 30 min + chilling · Bake: 35–40 min
- Shortcrust · 250 g plain flour (Type 405) · 125 g cold butter (cubed) · 1 egg (medium) · 1 pinch of salt · 2–3 tbsp cold water
- Filling · 500 g asparagus (white and green mixed) · 4 eggs (medium) · 200 g crème fraîche · 100 ml cream · 150 g Gruyère or mountain cheese (freshly grated) · salt, pepper, nutmeg
- Herbs · 1 bunch chervil or parsley · 1 bunch chives · a few sprigs of thyme
All quantities for the stated number of servings – simply double as needed.
How it's made step by step
1 · Make the shortcrust
Work flour, salt, cold butter and egg into a crumbly mixture. Add 2–3 tbsp water, bring together briefly, flatten, chill for at least 30 minutes.
2 · Prepare the asparagus
Peel white asparagus and trim the woody ends; for green, peel only the lower part. Cut into 3–4 cm pieces.
3 · Blanch
Cook in salted water for 3–4 minutes (keep some bite), refresh in iced water, drain well.
4 · Line the tin
Roll out the dough, line the greased tin, raise an edge, prick all over, chill for 15 minutes.
Preparation · shortcrust, asparagus and fresh herbs
5 · Blind bake
At 200 °C, weighted with baking paper and pulses, bake for 12–15 minutes, then remove.
6 · Mix the filling
Whisk eggs, crème fraîche and cream until smooth, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Finely chop the herbs and fold in with half the cheese.
7 · Layer
Spread the asparagus over the base, pour the egg mixture over, scatter the remaining cheese on top.
8 · Bake & serve
Bake at 180 °C for 35–40 minutes until golden and just wobbling in the centre. Rest 10 minutes, serve lukewarm with salad.
so it turns out perfectly
A few small things make all the difference.
- Dough in the food processor · everything in, pulse briefly, done
- Only green asparagus · saves the peeling
- Instead of Gruyère · Comté, mountain cheese or mild cheddar
- Make the shortcrust the day before · saves time
- Cooled completely · the perfect picnic lunch