Hot smoked salmon quiche

A deliciously more-ish quiche that makes a great lunch or supper. Serve warm with some crusty bread and a big green salad. Serves 6.

Shopping list for the pastry: 8oz (225g) plain flour (white, wholemeal, spelt or a gluten-free pastry flour); 5oz (150g) butter; a small handful of finely grated parmesan; 1 tps finely grated lemon rind; 1 organic egg, a pinch of salt and a little milk (if required).

Shopping list for the filling: 1 pack of Hot Smoked Scottish Salmon; 6 Phantassie organic eggs; 200g (a small tub) of organic Creme Fraiche or double cream; a handful each of finely chopped fresh Sorrel and parmesan cheese; a few turns of freshly-ground black pepper.

Method: First of all make the pastry. Sieve the salt and flour into a bowl - If using a wholemeal flour, I suggest discarding the larger grains left in the sieve, as these can make the pastry heavy and too biscuity - it all depends on how you like your pastry. Add the grated lemon zest and parmesan and mix well. Dice the (cold) butter into small cubes and add to the flour. With cold hands, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips for a few minutes, until it resembles course breadcrumbs. Beat the egg and add, mixing well through. This should form a ‘dough’. If it’s still too dry, add some milk, a dribble at a time, until the mixture comes together. Roll into a ball, seal with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. In the meantime, grease a 12” flan dish with a little melted butter, and cut a piece of parchment or baking paper large enough to place into the dish, covering the sides. Heat the oven to 180oC (gas mark 4).

When the dough has chilled, roll it out onto a lightly-floured worktop until around 5mm thick and large enough to fully line the flan dish, including the sides. When the pastry is in the dish, prick it with a fork all over, then cover it with the parchment paper and ‘weigh it down’ with some baking beans (dried beans are fine for this and can stored and re-used for future blind baking). Place the dish in the oven for 10-12 minutes, then remove the parchment paper/beans, brush the base of the pastry with a little more beaten egg (to seal the fork holes) and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little. Turn the oven up to 200oC (gas mark 6).

To make the filling, break the eggs into a bowl and add the creme fraiche or cream and pepper, beating them together well with a whisk. Add the grated parmesan and herbs and mix well through. Remove the hot smoked salmon from its skin and flake over the base of the baked pastry. Pour over the egg mixture and place in the oven. After 5 minutes, turn the oven down again to 180oC (gas mark 4) and cook for a further 30-35 minutes, until the egg mixture is cooked through, but is still light and springy. When cooked, remove the quiche from the oven and leave to cool a little. Serve just warm, as this allows the flavours to mix well and it’s much tastier than hot.