Quiche made with a flaky cheddar crust and filled with chicken and roasted bell pepper! What is not to love in this one 🙂
Okay, I know it is a mile long name for a post but but tell me what could I have missed out in that description? Everything about this Quiche is droolworthy – the flaky golden crust with a fantastic cheese flavour in it. Roasted Red Bell Pepper paired with stir fried chicken, this really is a dream come true quiche.
Tarts and pastries are my baking loves, second only to breads may be. I love and heart making them whether it is the sweet apple pie or the savory spinach pie. I enjoy making the shortcrust and even the tedious puff pastry. There is a satisfaction at the end of it which matches nothing else. Every bit worth the effort, time and energy you spend on it.
The other reason I like to bake pies at home is that I am a pie snob, yes there is something like that. I love my crust really flaky (very flaky) and thin (very very thin) and most places don’t get that right. Just look at the picture below to understand what I mean by thin crust. I roll it as thin as I can, it is probably 1/8 inch thick or lesser.
This quiche also combines one of my other favorites, roasted red bell pepper.
Recommended reading : how to roast bell peppers and oh try this raita to absolutely fall in love with it 😀
So I know this method looks a little long and tedious, ingredients too many but I promise you once you try this, it will be the only quiche you will want to eat. Besides the crust is a keeper and can be used for any savory recipe you want and oh the left over crust makes delicious crackers, I just cut them in thin strips and bake them crisp for 12 minutes or so.
And for my eggtarian readers, you can replace the chicken here with paneer/tofu or mushrooms. I personally prefer the mushroom version of it if I am making for myself, though I have had people who loved the tofu.
The flaky cheddar crust recipe credit – The Pie and Pastry Bible
Also typically quiche should be baked in a round pie mould, I just had to use this new rectangular mould that I got after searching high and low everywhere 😀
Roasted Red Pepper & Chicken Quiche with Flaky Cheddar Crust
Ingredients
For the Flaky Cheddar Crust
- 113 grams butter unsalted chilled
- 184 grams all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp baking powder (optional)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese sharp
- 4 tbsps water ice cold
- 1.5 tsps apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 egg white (optional)
For the filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion small
- 2 red bell peppers large roasted
- 100 gm chicken breast ,boneless
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup cream
- 3 eggs large
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper fresh ground
- 3 - 4 basil fresh leaves
- 1/2 cup cheese grated Grueyere
Instructions
To make the crust
- You can make the crust either by using a food processor or using the hand method. I will list out both so you pick which suits you.
- Cut the butter in small cubes and put in the freezer for atleast 30 minutes. Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, baking powder and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remember chilled ingredients make the best shortcrust. So don't skip this step.
- Food processor method - Place the flour mixture in the bowl of the food processor with the metal blade attachment and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the grated cheddar cheese and pulse for 20 minutes or until the mixture looks like a coarse powder. Add the frozen cut butter and pulse for 1 minute till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. It is ok if there are a few smaller butter pieces in it. At this stage add the chilled water and apple cider vinegar and pulse it for 30 seconds. The mixture will not look like a dough at this point. Transfer the mixture to a plastic bag
- Hand method - Add the cheddar cheese to the flour mixture and rub the mixture in between your fingers until it is blended and coarse. Add cut butter to the flour and cheese mixture and add to a ziploc. With a rolling pin, flatten the mixture so that the butter turns into thin flakes. Place the bag in the freezer for 10 minutes, take out the mixture from the bag and add chilled water and apple cider vinegar to it, mixing it roughly. Add the mixture back to the plastic bag/ziploc.
- While the mixture is in the bag, knead the mixture using your knuckles and heels of palm alternatively till the mixture holds together like a dough. Wrap it in a cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough stays good refrigerated for 2 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To blind bake the crust
- Once ready to bake, remove the dough from fridge, Using parchment paper or pastry mat, roll out the dough in 1/8 inch or less thickness, According to me, the thinner, the better. Don't be afraid to dust the dough, we can always use a pastry brush and remove the excess dough if any before baking. The circle needs to be around 12-inch for a 9-inch tart pan or be around a inch on all size bigger for pan of any other shape. Using the a large round cutter or a pizza slicer, roughly cut the size you need.
- Now gently, pick up the rolled dough and transfer it to the pie dish. If you are having difficultly picking it up, you can roll the dough around your rolling pin and unroll it on top of the pie dish. Press the dough gently into the sides and towards the bottom of the dish.
- Chill the pie dish along with dough for atleast 1 hour to a maximum of 24 hours.
- Pre heat the oven to 200C for 20 minutes and remove the dough from fridge, cut a parchment paper roughly the size of the pie dish and place in the middle. Now add dry beans like rajma or chickpeas to it and bake the pie for 20 minutes till slightly brown.
Assemble and bake the quiche
- While the pie is blind baking, make your filling ready. Roast the red peppers. Wash the bell peppers well and grease them with oil a little and roast them directly on the gas flame till they are charred on all sides. Do keep turning often so that they are not completely burned and cooked evenly. Once done, wash and remove the black charred bits and let it cool. Deseed and chop into thin strips.
- In a heavy bottom pan, heat olive oil and add chopped garlic to it and saute for one minute. Add sliced onion to it and saute till it is transparent. Add chopped chicken breast , salt and pepper and flash fry for 3-4 minutes. Add roasted pepper and tun off the heat.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper. Keep aside.
- Once the pie is baked and still warm, brush it with egg white (if using) and then spread the chicken and red pepper mixture. Pour the egg mixture on this and add shredded basil leaves. Sprinkle grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes till set.
- Let it cool completely before unmoulding. Once cool, push the bottom of the pie a little which will result in the side mould coming out. Now using a flat spoon slide the pie out from the base. Using a wet knife slice it into pieces and serve warm may be with a fresh salad. At my house, we love it as dinner with salad and with tea or juice for breakfast and as an evening snack you get the drift.
Notes
Can the cheddar cheese be omitted ?
I have never made this without cheese. There are other crust recips which don’t use cheese.
If I don’t have apple cider vinegar, could I add ordinary vinegar, instead?
yes should work
Dying to try this..looks delectable! Where can I find a rectangular quiche pan like the one you used? Anywhere in Bangalore?