Salmon and Spinach Quiche

5 from 2 votes

This delicious quiche is packed with fresh salmon, spinach, and a creamy egg custard in a buttery homemade crust, perfect for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner.

Prep Time1 10

Cook Time30

Total Time1 40

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: French, German

Diet: Halal

Servings: people

Calories: 816kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (plain white flour) (200 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoon unsalted butter (very cold, cut in small cubes) (100 grams)
¼ cup cold water (60 ml)

For the Egg Filling

1 large egg
1 cup heavy cream (double cream) (230 ml)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup shredded Gruyère or cheddar cheese (50 grams)

For the Salmon and Spinach Filing

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
14 oz washed and dried baby spinach (400 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
10 ½ oz salmon fillet (300 grams)
2 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Shortcrust Pastry

Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt and diced butter.
Rub the butter in flour with your fingertips until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs.
Add the water gradually just enough to make a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface and turn it into a ball.
Wrap in a cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.

Prepare the Filling

While the pastry is cooling down, start preparing your quiche filling.
Cut the salmon fillet into chunky dice the size of 1" (3 cm) and set them aside.
Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat and add olive oil.
When the pan is hot, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds before adding the spinach leaves.
Cook until the spinach has wilted and then transfer it into a sieve to get rid of excess liquid. Add the dill, set it aside, and proceed to blind baking the pastry.

Bake the Crust

Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
Whisk the egg and then add the cream (or milk), salt, pepper, nutmeg and the grated cheese. Mix well and keep it aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry slightly larger than the pie dish, large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tin.
Carefully place the dough into an 8" (20cm) fluted tart pan. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth.
Prick the dough all over with a fork, cover and place it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes (or fridge for 30 minutes). This helps to reduce pastry shrinkage when cooking.
Preheat the oven to 360 °F (180 °C).
Line the tart tin with parchment paper or tin foil, covering the edges to avoid them from burning.
When the oven is hot, fill the pastry with dried chickpeas or pie weights to prevent the dough from rising and bake for about 15 minutes.
Remove the chickpeas or pie weights and cook for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Remove crust from the oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes before filling it up with spinach and salmon. You can do this stage up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 °F (175 °C).

Fill the Crust and Bake

Spread the salmon pieces on the bottom of your pie crust and sprinkle on some seasoning.
Add the cooked spinach and pour in the egg mixture carefully over the top.
Place the quiche tin on a foil-lined baking sheet and transfer it to the oven. Bake it for 30 minutes or until just set in the centre. The quiche will begin to puff up while cooking but it will slightly deflate once it is out of the oven.
Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool down on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months if you used fresh salmon (don't freeze it if you used frozen salmon or frozen spinach).
Blind bake the crust before adding the filling, this is what keeps the bottom from going soggy.
You can bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover it tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to fill it.
Short on fresh salmon? Frozen, canned, or smoked salmon all work here, just drain canned salmon well and use smoked salmon straight into the filling with no cooking needed.
No spinach on hand? Kale or arugula work as a swap, just wilt them down the same way.
Don't have double cream? Use the same amount of full-fat milk plus one extra egg.
Want a firmer, more sliceable quiche? Add one extra egg to the filling. For a softer, custardy texture, stick with the amount in the recipe.
You can also make this crustless: skip the pastry, grease your tart pan or pie dish, and pour the filling straight in. It bakes a little faster without the crust.
Customize the filling with whatever you have on hand, cooked chicken and sautéed mushrooms, or asparagus, both work well alongside or instead of the salmon.
Salmon has a relatively high fat content, so you don't need to worry too much about overcooking it.
Short on time? A store-bought crust works fine, just make sure it's a deep-dish crust since a regular pie shell isn't deep enough for all the filling.

Nutrition