Caramelised Onion and Cheddar Cheese Quiche

Quiche, which is essentially a savoury tart, has been a staple in my diet for the majority of the past two decades. Almost all of these tarts have included onion, cheese, bacon and mushroom and have been made by my mother. Whilst this variety of quiche is by no means a disappointment, the time has come for a change. So, this week when it was announced that the much cooked quiche would once again feature on the weekly menu, I made the dramatic move of insisting on the injection of a little variety. It was a massive success, though if you prefer an entirely healthy lifestyle it may not be one for you. You may blame BBC GoodFood for this, since that’s where the recipe was discovered.

I got rebuked by Katherine only yesterday for ingesting rather too much butter and double cream as I’m supposed to be on some kind of self-imposed healthy eating period. I think the straw that broke the camel’s back, not that my girlfriend is a camel, was that both this quiche and the Welsh cakes were made on the same day. Thankfully the Welsh cakes are all but consumed, mostly by myself I may add, as is the quiche which was so ridiculously delectable I shall struggle to avoid making it again.

The secret to making this tart a resounding success is to use a very good quality mature cheddar cheese as it will work well in combination with the sweetness of the caramelised onions. If one were to use a mild cheese the quiche would probably gain nothing except texture from its addition. To be honest, I find it hard to comprehend why anyone partakes in mild cheese – it has very little flavour so merely serves a rather perverse fat-adding purpose. I realise that a good strong cheddar probably isn’t to everyone’s taste, but instead of bludgeoning your arteries for no reason why not remove cheese from your diet altogether?

The pastry for this quiche was made according to my own recipe for short-crust, which was posted only a couple of weeks ago. Please give it a go, as home made pastry is much better and more satisfying than shop bought pastry. I’m thoroughly thankful that I dedicated a post entirely to short-crust pastry – if I hadn’t I’d have to type out the method every time, which wouldn’t be fun.

Caramelised Onion and Cheddar Cheese Quiche 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 300ml double cream

• 500g onion, finely sliced

• 140g mature cheddar cheese, grated

• 2 eggs

• Seasoning

Method:

1. While the pastry case in being blind baked fry the onions for 20-30 minutes in a little olive oil – this will give them enough time to start caramelising. One could leave them to cook for another hour, but we’re not looking for fully caramelised onions since they work nicely with a little texture remaining.

2. Meanwhile, whisk two eggs in a large measuring jug. To this add the cream, half the cheese and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Once the pastry case has been blind baked, which should take 20-25 minutes in total, tip in the onions before covering with the cream and cheese mixture. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and season with a little more pepper. Pop the quiche into the oven at 170C for 20-25 minutes, or the cheese has turned golden brown.

Cost: This quiche really is the height of decadence in terms of flavour and calories, the price is not. Including the pastry this quiche will set one back a mere £2.90, a bargain for something so indulgent and rich.