SPINACH, beans, cream, eggs... It may not be enough to just have the list of ingredients for the recipe for the official dish of the coronation festivities of Charles III, King of England.
To make your quiche a success, it's important to respect certain principles, and also put an end to certain preconceived ideas. Because, getting a quiche to turn out perfectly isn't all that simple.
Although this particular recipe comes from the UK, the French have long laid claim to being the origin of this savoury tart so we've put together a few tips from French experts.
Don't forget to ‘sweat’ the filling
You thought you did everything right and you even invested in high-quality ingredients to optimise your chances of success. Except that when you take your quiche out of the oven, it is so soft that it is difficult to get out of the mould...
Did your recipe include mushrooms, onions, tomatoes or, as in the Coronation Quiche for King Charles III, spinach?
These ingredients release liquid when cooked so they need to be cooked separately beforehand so that they do not expel this moisture when the quiche is baking.
French chef Cyril Lignac presented a mushroom quiche in his show "Tous en cuisine," which he revisited with a filo-based dough. His preparations included sautéing the mushrooms beforehand with salt and a dash of olive oil.
The media-savvy chef took this extra step before putting his preparation in the oven.
By the way, for those who plan to make a quiche lorraine, top chefs such as Alain Ducasse, Philippe Etchebest and Frédéric Anton first brown the lardons in a frying pan, before adding them to the mixture of eggs, cream and milk makes up the quiche filling.
Should you prick the dough before you bake it?
Whether you're cooking a tart with chocolate mousse or fruit or a quiche lorraine, it is commonly accepted that the dough must be pricked with a fork before putting it in the oven.
A host of recipe books, whether they were written up by grandma or a famous chef outline this indication in black and white.
However, the chemist Raphaël Haumont, who works alongside the Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx to apply the results of scientific research to the field of gastronomy, has repeatedly indicated in various media programmes that this "technique" produces a dramatic result.
What does he mean? Well, these interstices provide a gateway for the liquid, which then causes the dough to get soft. The result can be catastrophic for tarts and quiches with a creamy filling such as quiches lorraines or tarte normande.
According to the scientist, even if the filling is composed of eggs, cream and milk, the mixture is actually 70% water. And you don't have to keep the parchment paper if you use a ready-made crust.
On the contrary, it can prevent water from evaporating.
To prevent the dough from getting soggy, you can brush the bottom with a little egg white before doing a pre-bake for three minutes. This will help make it waterproof. This is a tip regularly shared by non-professional pastry chefs when preparing fruit tarts in particular.
Use a metal mould or pastry ring
You may have inherited a beautiful ceramic or glass mould from your mother or grandmother but this is not necessarily ideal for preparing your quiche.
No matter how aesthetically pleasing it is, the results will be less effective than a pastry ring or a metal mould.
Metal is a material with excellent conductivity, while glass is recommended more for recipes such as panna cotta, which must rise slowly in temperature during cooking. The quiche needs to be "seared."
It's okay to use a mould for a quiche considering their filling. However, be aware that there are perforated moulds that allow the heat to evaporate better and obtain a crispier crust. – ETX Daily Up, April 20, 2023
