Gluten free asparagus and ricotta quiche

 Quiche is one of those quintessential luncheon dishes. Great for picnics, a buffet table, or a light meal served with a crisp green salad. As with many of my favourite foods, quiche's origins are French. It is a savoury tart consisting of a pastry crust filled with a savoury custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood, or vegetables. 

The pastry best used is shortcrust. It holds its shape and will crisp up beautifully. Shortcrust is the easiest pastry to make at home. Ten minutes in the food processor, and 30 minutes resting in the fridge is almost as quick as defrosting a store-bought frozen pre-rolled square. I was having one of those days when filming this episode and you will see that as I placed the pastry into my dish it broke away. Although not the perfect look for a video, it did give me the opportunity to show you a handy trick with eggwhite that helps you repair the base. This particular quiche doesn’t really have a custardy filling as the ricotta makes it quite thick, so there was no chance the base would leak. But even if I was making a quiche Lorraine (with bacon), the eggwhite glued patches work. An important trick is to use a ball of pastry to gently ease the pastry into your dish — fingers can often push through and create holes or cracks.

When I think of spring I think of wattle in flower, daffodils dancing in neighbours' gardens, and asparagus. About 10 years ago I planted one asparagus crown. Last year I picked over 40 spears and that doesn’t count those the garden beasties nibbled on before I got to them. Along with tomatoes and rhubarb, an asparagus crown is in my top three vegetables to grow in the garden. Store-bought asparagus just doesn’t have the same flavour or crispness as one you just picked.

In 2014 I was fortunate enough to stay in the Dordogne region of France in a gite (farmhouse) on an asparagus farm. Monsieur was growing white asparagus kept under black plastic until time to be picked. He was very patient with my poor French and lots of questions on best time to pick, what kind of fertiliser and of course the best way to cook them. Blanched and served with parsley butter was his suggestion and it was sublime! White asparagus spears have a larger diameter than green or purple. Having been out of sunlight they do not need to be peeled. Green or purple asparagus with a diameter bigger than your thumbnail does need peeling as the skin can be a little tough.

The addition of ricotta to this quiche changes the texture and reduces the richness of the dish. Creamy without the addition of cream, a little salty and delicious. Sometimes I sweat down a leek and some bacon strips in a little butter and add to the mix as well. If I do, I cut down the ricotta to 300 g.

Serves 6-8

Crust:

• 250 g plain flour (GF)
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• 100 g butter, very cold and cut into cubes
• 1 egg yolk
• 60 ml ice water
• 20 g parmesan, grated
• 15 ml olive oil
• pinch of salt

Filling:

• 8 stalks of young asparagus
• 400 g ricotta
• 3 large eggs
• 100 g parmesan, grated
• freshly ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper

In a food processor, combine all of the flour, xanthan gum, parmesan, salt, and butter. Pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add oil, egg yolk, and half of the water and work to form a smooth dough, adding water in very small amounts as needed. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C. 

Remove the woody ends from the asparagus.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

Roll out the pastry to approximately 3 mm, to fit your quiche dish. Use a ball or extra pastry to gently ease the pastry into the dish, being careful not to tear the base. Chill for 10 minutes.

Arrange the asparagus in the dish in a decorative design. Gently pour in the egg mixture, spreading it evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden and the centre is a little "jiggly". Allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. It can be served warm or at room temperature with a crisp green salad.