SALMON and asparagus quiche makes a filling meal at any time.
Heather Carston Editor
THE first of my favourite spring veggies was in stores last week – asparagus. There are so many great ways to cook this, but there are a couple of tips to make it successful. Old asparagus doesn’t cook well and can be left stringy and tough to eat. Make sure it’s fresh, with a good scent. Boiling it too long can take the colour out. For this recipe, I select slender, young asparagus, not the one with woody ends. If I have plenty, I’ll only use the top half or three-quarters and discard the bottom half. Quiches are very forgiving dishes. While this recipe uses a pastry base, I often will cook one without pastry if I’m in a hurry. You can use short pastry for this, but I tend to keep flaky pastry sheets in the freezer and use them for most things. If I don’t have dill, I’ll substitute tarragon or Italian parsley. As far as meat is concerned, you can use slices of anything from ham, cooked chicken to roast beef – but salmon is a delicate flavour that we enjoy. If you want it to be special, drizzle the top with apricot or plum sauce and add a bit of brie or camembert cheese.
INGREDIENTS Smoked salmon and asparagus quiche 2 sheets frozen flakey puff pastry 100gms asparagus, sliced diagonally into 1cm thick pieces 6 eggs 1/4 C (60ml) cream 100gms smoked salmon, cut into strips 4 spring onions, sliced thinly 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 tp dried dill Salt and pepper to taste 1 C grated Edam cheese
METHOD Preheat oven to 190°C or 170°C if using fan-forced. Grease a pie dish and line with pastry, trimming to fit the dish. Place it on an oven tray; prick the pastry lightly with a fork. Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with baking weights or dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes; remove weights and paper, bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is browned lightly. Trim the ends off the bottom (about a centimetre) and cook the asparagus until just tender; drain. Whisk eggs in a bowl, then add in the cream. Add salt and pepper. Arrange the smoked salmon, asparagus, onion, dill and cheese over the pastry case. Pour the egg mixture over; it should just cover the mix. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set. This is great served with a salad and a bit of sour cream.
