Culinary

Quiche — pronounced "kee-sh"

The classic french Quiche, or savoury tart, originated in the Lorraine area of France and was basically an egg, cream and bacon flan.

Here good cheap NT. cottage cheese is used instead of cream and cheese, but this can be changed to cheddar and milk if you wish.

*******************

Make a pastry case by rubbing 3 level tablespoons of butter or margarine into 1 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder, with the fingertips until the texture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add a teaspoon of salt and enough cold water to make a firm dough. If dough is too moist add a little more flour. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

Roll out into 8 to 9 inch (diameter) shallow pie dish. Prick base all over with a fork and bake "blind", ie. bake in moderate oven, 350° ? Gas 5°, for 10 minutes only. Remove from oven to cool.

Filling:

Heat together 2 eggs. Add salt, pepper and one 7oz carton of cottage cheese. Mix well. Add fried onions to pastry case and pour over eggs/cheese mixture. Bake approx. 20 minutes 350° (Gas 5°) until well risen and golden brown.

• Substitute 1 cup grated Chedder cheese and ¼-½ cup milk for cottage cheese.
• Make a green pepper Quiche, or a Mushroom Quiche or a combination of both, by frying each lightly before adding to pastry case. Add egg mixture last.
• or fry ¼ lb onions (about 4 medium) with a little butter and a bay leaf until the onions are soft. Remove bay leaf. Add a little nutmeg to the egg mixture and omit the cheese, using ¼ pint each of cream and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Bake as before. This rich and creamy Quiche is known as Alsace Onion Flan.

Helen Corrigan.