Crusty underneath, soft and flavorsome in-between and bitty and cheesy on top – that’s a Sunday lunch.
Baking pearls, make an incredible difference in baking crusty pastry or quiches. Yes, it maybe a luxury, but I enjoy using them in making the perfect base for sweet and salty pastries.
Ingredients
- 350g puff pastry
- 1 leek
- 200g ham
- 2 eggs
- 250g cream
- pinch of salt
- pepper
- 100g rasped cheese
- 1 tbsp plain flour
Method
1. Take the puff pastry out of the fridge, roll it out and let it rest for 20 minutes.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Carefully take the pastry and lay it together with the baking paper underneath over into the baking form. If possible cover the base of the pastry with baking pearls to keep the pastry down from raising. Before putting the baking pearls over the pastry, cut a round disk of baking paper in the size of the base of the pastry form. Put the paper on top of the pastry and add the pearls. In this way, when the pastry bottom is baked, you can easily take away the baking paper disk and the pearls. Put the pastry into the oven and let it bake for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut the leek into small pieces and let it soften in a pan over medium heat for no more then 10 minutes. Cut the ham into small pieces and when the leek has softened mixed the two together.
4. Whisk the two eggs, the cream and the flour into a smooth mixture and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Once the pastry has firmed take it our of the oven and remove the baking pearls. Pour the leek and ham mixture over the pastry, scatter randomly half of the rasped cheese, pour the egg mixture and cover generously with the remaining rasped cheese. Put the quiche back into the oven and let it bake for additional 20 minutes until golden.
