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Coronation Quiche

Introduction & method

This vegetarian quiche was chosen for the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023. The published recipe isn't very easy for inexperienced cooks so I've tweaked a few things. Give it a go - it tastes great!

 Coronation Quiche Recipe

Notes


The quantities given here are for a 23cm (9 inch) diameter quiche so you'll need a metal quiche tin that size, preferably with a removable bottom. Ceramic dishes look nicer but they don't transmit the heat as well as metal.
Spinach releases a lot of water when it's cooked. I've suggested starting with 200 grams uncooked, but really you want to have 130 grams (4½ ounces) cooked weight.
Fresh tarragon might be hard to find. If you can't get it, use a teaspoon of dried tarragon instead.

Pastry


If you don't want to make your own pastry you can use ready-made - just be sure you buy shortcrust, not puff or flaky. If you are making your own pastry, mix together the flour and salt, cut the butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour with your fingertips - keep going until all of the butter is broken down and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. If you have a stand mixer, fit the paddle attachment and whizz it for a couple of minutes. Add about half of the water and mix it in with a knife. Keep adding more water until you have a ball of dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean. You might not need to use all of the water. Wrap the dough in plastic film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Prep the Veggies


Wash your spinach. Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan or wok. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and stir frequently. When the spinach has stopped releasing water, remove it from the pan and squeeze it as dry as you can either with your hands or a potato masher.
Place the frozen broad beans in a bowl and cover with boiling water - they'll be cooked already and just need to defrost for a few minutes.
Finely chop the fresh tarragon.

Make the Pastry Case


Butter the inside of your quiche tin. Sprinkle some flour on your worktop and rolling pin and roll out the pastry into a disc that's 5mm (quarter inch) thick. Drape it over your rolling pin and unroll it over the quiche tin. Take a blob of spare pastry and use that to press the pastry up against the edge of the tin - the blob of dough stops you from damaging the pastry case. Trim off any excess pastry around the rim. The palace recipe now tells you to blind-bake the pastry case. I made one quiche where I did that another where I didn't and honestly, I couldn't tell the difference. So skipping that stage will save you half an hour.

Finish the Quiche and Bake it


Heat your oven to 170°C (3338°F) for a fan/convection oven or airfryer, 190°C (374°F) conventional, gas 5. Grate the cheese and sprinkle half of it in an even layer on the bottom of the pastry case.
Drain the broad beans and space them evenly over the cheese. Chop the spinach and spread it out over the broad beans. Mix together the milk and cream, eggs, tarragon and salt and pepper. Pour this mixture into the pastry case. Don't overfill the case. Sprinkle the remaining cheese all over and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before removing the quiche from the tin. Place it on a wire rack to cool some more. This quiche is best eaten warm, not hot. You can also eat it cold. The palace recipe recommends serving it with new potatoes and a green salad.


The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Coronation Quiche on YouTube.

 
You might also like these recipes:

Sausage and Apple Pie

Melton Mowbray-style Pork Pie

Cheese and Onion Pastie

Ingredients & Info


SHORTCRUST PASTRY
 200 grams plain white (all-purpose) flour
 75 grams unsalted butter
 half a tsp salt
 125 ml cold water
FILLING
 175 ml double (heavy) cream
 125 ml semi-skimmed milk
 200 grams uncooked spinach
 150 grams mature cheddar
 100 grams frozen broad beans or soy beans
 3 medium eggs
 1 tbsp fresh tarragon
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp ground white pepper

PLUS

Butter for sautéeing. Flour for dusting.


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Makes 1 x 23 cm (9 inch) quiche
Prep time: 15 minutes.
Pastry resting time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 40 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes.