I decided to make a ‘Ratatouille’ Quiche, playing on the classic French flavours but also to make use of the bright colours involved. I knew I wanted to make something pretty and eye-catching!
I think I succeeded…
For the shortcrust pastry, I placed the flour and salt in a large bowl. I added the cold cubed butter and rubbed it into the flour with my fingertips to form a coarse breadcrumb texture.
I then added enough cold water to JUST bring it together to form a dough (when it starts to come away from the bowl). I wrapped this in cling film and chilled for 30 minutes.
To roast the veg, I chopped the courgettes, red onion, yellow pepper and aubergine to roughly even sized pieces. I added this, as well as 3 wholes cloves of garlic, to a large roasting tray. I drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, then placed in an oven at 200°C for 30minutes.
I then added the cherry toms and roast for a further 15 minutes. Once cooked I removed from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
I rolled out the chilled pastry to ½cm thickness and large enough so it would fit my 12″ tart tin. I laid the pastry into my greased tin and pressed into the edges. I trimmed the pastry around the tin, but kept it rough as I’d be trimming it properly later. I then pricked the base with a fork,
I placed a piece of greaseproof paper on top and filled with baking beans before blind baking at 200°C for 15 minutes. I then removed the baking beans and baked for a further 5 minutes.
In a bowl I mixed the eggs, double cream, chopped herbs and salt and pepper. I also squeezed out the roast garlic, mushed it up with a fork and added that too.
I trimmed the edge of the tart case to neaten, then scattered the roast veg into the tart case.
I then poured the egg mixture all over to fill. I baked this at 180°C for 40minutes until there was no more wobble in the middle and the egg had started to brown.
- For the shortcrust pastry:
- 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 110g unsalted butter, cold and cubed (plus extra for greasing)
- 1tsp salt
- 70-150ml cold water
- For the roast vegetable filling:
- olive oil
- 1 yellow pepper
- 2 courgettes
- 1 aubergine
- 1 large red onion
- 3 clove garlic
- 400g cherry tomatoes
- 5 eggs
- 200ml double cream
- 1tsp dried thyme
- bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- Place the flour and salt into a large bowl.
- Rub in the cold butter with your finger tips till you get a breadcrumb texture.
- Gradually add the water till it just starts to clump together as a dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and press together into a circle.
- Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30mins before using.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Chop the pepper, courgettes, aubergine and onion into similar sized chunks.
- Place into a large roasting tray, along with the whole garlic cloves, drizzle with oil and roast for 20 mins (tossing the veg halfway between).
- Add the cherry tomatoes and roast for a further 15mins. Set the veg aside to cool to room temperature.
- Once the pastry has chilled, roll out to ½cm thickness and large enough to cover your tart tin.
- Grease a 12inch/30cm loose base tart tin with a little butter.
- Lay the pastry on top of the tin and carefully press into the case.
- Trim away the excess pastry but you don’t have to neaten the edge at this stage. Patch up any cracks/gaps with the extra pastry. Prick the base with a fork.
- Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on top and fill with baking beans.
- Blind bake for 15mins at 200°C, then remove the baking beans and bake for another 5mins. Set aside to cool. Trim the edge of the tart case when cooled.
- Turn heat down to 180°C.
- In a bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, herbs and salt and pepper.
- Take the roasted garlic and squeeze out the insides. Mash it up completely with a fork/pestle and mortar, then add to the egg mixture.
- Scatter the rest of the roast veg into the pastry case, then pour the egg mixture all over to fill.
- Bake for 40mins until the egg begins to brown and there is no longer a wobble in the middle when jiggled.
- Serve warm or cold.
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