CAULIFLOWER CHEESE & BACON QUICHE

Cauliflower cheese & bacon quiche image

A lovely combination of cauliflower cheese and quiche Lorraine - make sure you pick the freshest cauli around

Provided by Ruth Watson

Categories Buffet, Dinner, Lunch, Main course

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

225g plain flour , plus extra for rolling out
140g cold unsalted butter , roughly cubed
1 large egg yolk
2-3 tbsp ice-cold water
1 small cauliflower , broken into smallish florets
100g thick-cut unsmoked streaky bacon , roughly chopped
3 large free-range eggs
284ml carton double cream
175g/6oz cheese , finely grated (combine two or three of the following: parmesan, cheddar and gruyère or emmental)
2 tbsp snipped chives
good grating of nutmeg

Steps:

To make the pastry, briefly whizz the flour with a pinch of salt in a food processor, then add the butter and whizz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tbsp water and pour in. Process until the pastry forms a ball round the spindle, add a 1⁄2-1 tbsp water if necessary. Pat into a thick disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes or up to 48 hours.
Return the pastry to a cool room temperature. Roll out as thinly as you can and line a 4cm deep, 23cm round tart tin with a removable base. Tuck pastry into the corners, without stretching it, and trim off the overhang (watch our video which shows how to do this neatly). Chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Line the pastry with foil (no need to prick pastry), weigh it down with ceramic or dried beans, then bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove foil and beans, and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the pastry has lost all rawness but is still pale golden.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to boil, add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, timed from when the water's back to the boil. Drain well and leave to cool.
Spread out the bacon in a cold non-stick frying pan and cook over a low-medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat runs and the bacon's coloured but not crisp. Leave to cool.
Combine eggs, cream, all the cheese, chives and nutmeg with black pepper and a little salt. Stir in the cauliflower and bacon, then pour the mixture into the case. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is set but just trembles. Leave for 30 minutes, as quiche is at its best served warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 752 calories, Fat 60 grams fat, SaturatedFat 35 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 33 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 22 grams protein, Sodium 1.23 milligram of sodium