Cheese and onion quiche (v) (preparation time 1 hour, cooking time 1 hour)

Ingredients for the pastry:

• 175g plain flour
• salt
• 75g butter (plus extra for greasing)
• water

Ingredients:

• 200g cheese.  Mature cheddar is good but I usually make this  quiche to use use up scrap ends of cheese.
• 2 medium sized onions
• 5 eggs
• 200 ml double cream
• 100 ml milk
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• chives

Here’s what you do:

Step 1 - Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the chilled butter.  Dice the butter.  I  like to do this in the flour so that the butter cubes don’t stick together.

Step 2 - Ensuring that your hands are cold, start to rub the butter into the flour and keep going until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 3 - Using a large metal knife add some of the water and start to bring the mixture together. Make sure that you don’t add too much water to the pastry as the final bringing together should be done by hand and this will bring all of the crumbs into the mix.   Wrap the finished pastry in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 4 - Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll out to the size required for your pastry case.  Line the pastry case but do not cut off the edges.  Place the case back in the fridge and allow it to chill down again.     

Step 5 - Preheat the oven to 190 degrees

Step 6 - Take the pastry case from the fridge and cut the edges off so that the pastry is the same height as the pastry tin.  Put some baking paper over the pastry and fill it with baking beans.  Place the pastry case in the oven for 20 minutes.    

Step 7 - Take the pastry case out of the oven and remove the baking beans and baking paper.  Place the pastry case back in the oven for another 5 minutes.  At this point I like to put the pastry tin onto baking tray as this helps to catch any spills and stops you from having to scrub burnt egg mix from the bottom of the oven!

Step 8 - Reduce the oven temperature down to 160 degree. 

Step 9 - Chop the onions and fry them gently until they have become translucent. Add them to the pastry case with the cheese.

Step 10 - Combine the eggs, milk, cream, seasoning and chives and add to the pastry case.  Place the quiche in the oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

Kitchen implements required:

• 8 inch pastry case
• rolling pin
• mixing bowl
• baking tray
• measuring jug