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Asparagus

    Asparagus quiches

  1. picture of Asparagus quiches
 Asparagus
  2. 
    375g Plain flour
    1 tsp sugar
    Half tsp sea salt
    Quarter tsp baking powder
    110g butter, well chilled and cut into 1cm pieces
    60g creme fraiche
    55ml very cold water
    
    Quarter tsp sea salt, plus extra
    450g asparagus cut into 0.5cm pieces, tips left whole
    3 tbsp butter
    115g onion, finely chopped
    1 small bulb garlic, roughly chopped
    2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
    180ml double cream
    165ml whole milk
    8 mint leaves, thinly sliced at the last minute
    
    

    Combine the flour, sugar, sea salt and baking powder in a food processor and pulse to mix well. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, pour in the creme fraiche and water, and use your fingertips to gently work the mixture untit it comes together as a dry slightly crumbly dough. Don't overwork it and don't let it warm up too much. Cover the bowl and keep in the fridge for 15-30 mins.

    Roll out the dough to an even 0.5cm thickness, dusting the dough with flour if the rolling pin sticks. Line 12 x 7.5cm ring moulds, cover with clingfilm, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Bake blind at 160 deg C until the pastry is cooked but not coloured (20-25mins). Let the shells cool completely.

    Cook the asparagus stalks in well salted boiling water until they've lost their raw crunch (60-90 secs), and drain. Do the same with the tips but keep them apart from the stalks.

    Melt the butter, add the onion, garlic and quarter tsp of sea salt and cook, stirring now and again, until the onion is soft and barely browned at the edges

    (12 mins).

    Whisk all the eggs lightly. Heat the cream and milk until it's simmering strongly. Remove it immediately from the heat, then gradually pour into the bowl with rhe eggs, whisking all the time. Stir in 2 tsp sea sa1t.

    Divide the onion mixture among the shells, spreading slightly to form a layer. Spoon in the asparagus stalks (2 generous tbsp per shell). Whisk the egg mixture, then ladle in enough of it to come up to about 0.5cm from the rim. Add the asparagus tips (two or three per quiche) and the mint. Transfer to the oven and top up each quiche with a little more egg mixture.

    Bake the quiches, rotating the baking sheet once, until the egg mixture has set (20-25 minutes). Remove the moulds and let the quiches cool slightly before you dig in.