Smoked Salmon, Bacon and Asparagus Quiche

Melbourne's wheather wasn't very pleasant yesterday, so, I decided to just stay home, be lazy, rest and relax. Therefore, quick and easy meal will be highly compatible to this theme. I still have the cold smoke salmon that I bought from Taste of Melbourne last week and decided to whipped up some decadent smoked salmon, bacon and asparagus quiche. Find out more about asparagus HERE

Update 26/7/2017: this recipe has been recently featured in Quik Easy Cook. To see more recipe using asparagus please click HERE.

So, what is quiche? Quiche is a baked dish that is based on a custard from egg and milk or cream in a pastry crust. Usually the pastry shell is blind bake before other ingredients are added for secondary baking. INgredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables, cheese cand be added to it. Quiche may be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.


What is blind bake? Blind bake/pre baking is a process baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling. Why blind bake? Blind baking a pir crust is necessary when (A) it's filling does not require baking, i.e cream pies, (B) when its filling need shorter time of baking compare to the crust and (C) to prevent the pie crust from becoming soggy from its filling, i.e wet filling. How to blind bake? Ease the pastry into pan or dish, make sure you ease them to the corner, trim the side with knife to fit the tin. Place he tin on an oven tray, prick pastry lightly with fork to avoid air pockets. Line pastry with baking paper then fill with baking weight such as uncooked rice or dried beans and baked.

The original recipe call for shortcrust pastry and no bacon is added. However, I use puff pastry because I still have frozen puff pastry left in fridge and of course some left over bacon. The original recipe also call for 30ml cream (which I assume is single cream) but I only have thickened cream at home so I do 3/4 thickened cream and 1/4 milk.

Here's the recipe:-

Ingredients:

• 1 sheets frozen puff pastry, thaw
• 1 bunch (about 80g) asparagus, slice diagonally into 1inch pieces (add more if you like asparagus)
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp thickened cream
• 1/2 tbsp milk 
• 100g smoke salmon, cut into strips
• 1/2 brown onion, chopped OR 1 stalk green onion/spring onion, white parts, sliced
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 piece bacon rashers, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup grated mozarella cheese

Methods:-

1. Preheat oven to 190 degree celcius. Grease pie dish. I use the aluminium pie dish available at the BBQ section so I have no idea of the measurement, 20cm perhaps? Line with the puff pastry, trim to fit, place dish oven tray, prick pastry light with fork, cover pastry with baking paper and fill with weights. 
2. Bake for 15 minutes with weights on, remove the weight and bake further until the pastry is browned lightly. About 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, briefly boil cut asparagus in lightly salted water. Boil until just tender, drain and set aside. 
4. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in the cream and milk. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
5. Add asparagus, salmon and onion into the egg mixture. Mix well and pour in pastry case. Sprinkle with bacon and then mozzarella cheese. Initially I mix the bacon into the egg mixture as well,  but I think by sprinkling them I will be able to get the crunchy taste of it. 
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set.

in making.....

on the way to my tummy....

Hi, that's Dolly. Trying to steal my quiche.

TIPS:

• Add and subract any other ingredients you desireHERE