Jaynie makes Jamie's Quiche!
I don't know about any of you - but I absolutely LOVE quiche and interestingly, as much as I love to cook and prepare new things in my kitchen... until I tried this recipe I had never made a quiche before in my life! I am also not really one to follow the big names in the culinary world - but being the lazy individual that I am sometimes, lol - I was on the look out for a crustless quiche because I was just too lazy to make any dough.
I did not find precisely what I was looking for - but I spotted a recipe by Jamie Oliver for a really simple quiche made with phyllo pastry. Now, I have worked with phyllo a few times in my life and it is quite a lot of fun. Its like pastry art really... because you can do so much with it, not to mention that it is deliciously fluffy and flaky - which is exactly what I love! So, needless to say, I decided to give the recipe a whirl and I must say I was pleasantly impressed!
INGREDIENTS
One pack of phyllo pastry (optional)
Two teaspoons of butter
10 eggs
2 packs of diced bacon
A pack of spring onions
One decent-sized courgette or a few small baby marrows
A few large tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Mozzarella cheese
One head of broccoli
A handful of baby spinach leaves
A cup of grated white cheddar
One round of feta cheese
So, first things first – bacon sizzling time! Fry it all until it hits that golden and crispy sweet spot. Once the bacon is done, throw it into a sieve over a bowl, letting that extra oil drip off before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
Ok, so here comes the "simple" part – basically, we're on a grating spree, lol! I grated up five baby marrows and tossed in a couple of yellow patty pans because, surprise surprise, the shop had run out of marrows. Then, I tackled the broccoli, grating it stem-upward. Not only does this save that stem from neglect (it's tasty and nutritious, people!), but as you grate, the little florets fall off – thanks for the genius move, Jamie!
Aaaaand the grating continues, lol! I shredded about a handful of white cheddar as well which was not in the original recipe, just like a few other things which are in my version (I am not very good at following instructions to the letter, lol).
I added two teaspoons of fine parmesan to the "cheese" mix. Can't resist a little parmesan magic and saved a smidgen of cheddar to sprinkle on the top later.
With all the grating wrapped up, it was time for "chop chop chop"! I diced a pack of spring onions and a handful of baby spinach. Sure, you can rather use traditional onions, but let me tell you, spring onions or "salad onions," are far milder – which is perfect for those not totally sold on onions. Not me, though – I am DEFINITELY team onion all the way!
Now, throw ALL that good stuff into a bowl. The only extra I threw in was about two teaspoons of melted butter. Get those hands delightfully messy and mix it ALL up!!!! Oh, but don't forget a sprinkle of salt and a grind of cracked pepper – just be cautious with the salt, because the bacon's got that covered all on its own!
Pastry time! I have worked with phyllo pastry a few times before, and it's always a blast because the possibilities are endless. That's one of the reasons this recipe caught my eye. At the end of the day, it looks stunning but serves no other purpose than its "crunch and crackle" factors – and trust me, that alone is worth it - also it just LOOKS so damn pretty on the plate!
Oh and just a quick note about working with phyllo pastry – keep it moist. It generally comes frozen in thin sheets, and the moment they dry out, they start cracking which renders them pretty useless. It's something that can stress a person out a tad, but a clean and VERY damp dish towel is all you need to prevent this from happening... that, or a handy spray bottle of water.
Following Jamie's lead on the rough phyllo prep, I grabbed multiple sheets and casually dropped them into the oiled baking tray. Filled that with all the yummy stuff mixed together in the bowl, took a spoon, and gave it a good press to compress it all.
Next, I started the folding of the phyllo edges inward, but in a rather haphazard way. I tossed the last of the grated cheese on top, and then finished it off with a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese.
And there you have it! I shoved that masterpiece RIGHT at the bottom of the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for just over an hour. I made a few tweaks to Jamie's recipe, so had to consider that in the cooking time. I was a tad nervous, but my gut feeling turned out to be spot on!
While that magic was happening in the oven, I prepped the salad side. I went for a "mini version" of a Caprese salad – sliced tomato, smoked mozzarella, diced basil leaves, balsamic vinegar glaze, and a drizzle of olive oil. Though this time I diced the basil leaves instead of leaving them whole between the cheese slices and the tomatoes.
I knew the phyllo pastry was going to look a little bit on the "wild side" once it was baked, so I kept it simple and went for a straight line with the Caprese salad to try and balance it out aesthetically for the plating. And there you have it! Jaynie made Jamie's quiche... well, kind of, haha!
Bon Appétit!
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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I love quiche, too! It's such a marvelous "Sunday brunch" food, too.
AND I learned something new: Never thought to use phyllo... but actually seems like a pretty nifty idea!
Oh yes indeed!!! Quite frankly, I don't think there is ever a bad time to enjoy a slice of quiche!
And yes, it was a pretty fun idea, but messy too lol - that phyllo pastry flies everywhere when it cracks haha!
You got to at least try something once. Jamie has some pretty awesome recipes, but having tried many - I actually find a lot of them quite bland in flavour - not to insult the guy or anything haha - but then, I have also been told (by British people themselves) that their food is boring by comparison to ours... though I cannot really say first hand as I have never been cooked for by anyone in the UK. :D
British food is... well, at least it used to be... pretty bland and boring. I say this as someone who went to boarding school in the UK, and who had an English stepdad... I get the impression that most British foodies are not eating/making British food... :rofl:
lol, enough said then. :D
Looks delicious! 😍 I'll have to try this one myself!
Worth it - even if it is just once :D