When I was in my teens and doing home economics at school, one of the first things I learned to make was quiche Lorraine. It is a beautiful savoury quiche that anyone can learn and you can eat hot or cold at any time of the day. As you know, I never tire of saying that everyone should learn to cook in school. Maybe some day. One of the best quiches I ever ate was when we were filming with Zanna Cookhouse, run by Owen, Lorna and David Mullins in Wexford.
Quiche is great for the good September weather we are getting. I am writing this as the Ploughing is in full swing and bathed in sunshine. Cheese is essential in a quiche. There are a lot of good goat’s cheeses available and I don’t find any of the Irish ones too strong. In the restaurant, I use Bluebell Falls and Corleggy. You could substitute feta or a mature cheddar in this recipe. Spinach or smoked bacon also work very well if you do not have watercress.
The mixture of tastes of tarragon, mustard, garlic and lemon make these chicken filo parcels delicious. The filo pastry can be tricky and take care that it does not dry out. You could use puff pastry but it will take longer. Tarragon is good with chicken, but you could also use thyme or rosemary. I love lemon zest with chicken. You could serve with broccoli or any seasonal greens.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Goat’s cheese & watercress quiche
Serves four
For the pastry:
225g (8oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g (4oz) butter
1 large egg, beaten, plus extra beaten egg for brushing
For the filling:
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g (4oz) watercress, roughly chopped
3 large eggs
225ml (8fl oz) milk
150g (5oz) log soft rindless goat’s cheese, broken up into small pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
tomato salad, to serve
1 Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg and about 1-2 tbsp water and mix gently to form a soft dough. Knead well then wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.2 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six). Knead the pastry lightly on a floured work surface and then roll it out to line a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed flan tin that is at least 2.5cm (1in) deep (the pastry won’t shrink, so no need to chill). Patch holes with spare pastry and brush the base and sides with egg.3 To make the filling, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the onion until softened. Add the watercress and cook briefly until just wilted. Remove from the heat. Beat the eggs and milk and then stir in the watercress mixture with the goat’s cheese. Season to taste and set aside until needed.4 Place the pastry-lined flan tin on a baking sheet and bake the pastry blind for five minutes. Pour in the filling and bake for another 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F, gas mark four) and cook for another 20-25 minutes until lightly set. Remove from the oven and leave to settle in the tin for five minutes before removing. Cut into slices and arrange on plates with the tomato salad to serve.Chicken filo parcels
Serves four
2 tsp olive oil, plus extra oil in a sprayer
4 x 100g skinless chicken breast fillets
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
8 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
steamed French beans, to serve
1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken for four minutes on each side until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate and to cool.2 Mix together the tarragon, mustard, garlic and lemon rind; season generously. Once the chicken has cooled, spread the mixture evenly over each chicken breast.3 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark five). Lay sheets of filo pastry flat on a work surface and spray with a little oil, then top with another sheet of filo pastry. Lay one mustard chicken breast in the centre of the pastry, lift the edges of the pastry over the chicken and scrunch over the top to enclose. Repeat with the remaining filo pastry and mustard chicken breasts to make four parcels. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until crunchy and golden.4 Place a filo-wrapped chicken breast parcel on each warmed serving plate and add some steamed French beans to serve.
When I was in my teens and doing home economics at school, one of the first things I learned to make was quiche Lorraine. It is a beautiful savoury quiche that anyone can learn and you can eat hot or cold at any time of the day. As you know, I never tire of saying that everyone should learn to cook in school. Maybe some day. One of the best quiches I ever ate was when we were filming with Zanna Cookhouse, run by Owen, Lorna and David Mullins in Wexford.
Quiche is great for the good September weather we are getting. I am writing this as the Ploughing is in full swing and bathed in sunshine. Cheese is essential in a quiche. There are a lot of good goat’s cheeses available and I don’t find any of the Irish ones too strong. In the restaurant, I use Bluebell Falls and Corleggy. You could substitute feta or a mature cheddar in this recipe. Spinach or smoked bacon also work very well if you do not have watercress.
The mixture of tastes of tarragon, mustard, garlic and lemon make these chicken filo parcels delicious. The filo pastry can be tricky and take care that it does not dry out. You could use puff pastry but it will take longer. Tarragon is good with chicken, but you could also use thyme or rosemary. I love lemon zest with chicken. You could serve with broccoli or any seasonal greens.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Goat’s cheese & watercress quiche
Serves four
For the pastry:
225g (8oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g (4oz) butter
1 large egg, beaten, plus extra beaten egg for brushing
For the filling:
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g (4oz) watercress, roughly chopped
3 large eggs
225ml (8fl oz) milk
150g (5oz) log soft rindless goat’s cheese, broken up into small pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
tomato salad, to serve
1 Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg and about 1-2 tbsp water and mix gently to form a soft dough. Knead well then wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.2 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six). Knead the pastry lightly on a floured work surface and then roll it out to line a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed flan tin that is at least 2.5cm (1in) deep (the pastry won’t shrink, so no need to chill). Patch holes with spare pastry and brush the base and sides with egg.3 To make the filling, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the onion until softened. Add the watercress and cook briefly until just wilted. Remove from the heat. Beat the eggs and milk and then stir in the watercress mixture with the goat’s cheese. Season to taste and set aside until needed.4 Place the pastry-lined flan tin on a baking sheet and bake the pastry blind for five minutes. Pour in the filling and bake for another 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F, gas mark four) and cook for another 20-25 minutes until lightly set. Remove from the oven and leave to settle in the tin for five minutes before removing. Cut into slices and arrange on plates with the tomato salad to serve.Chicken filo parcels
Serves four
2 tsp olive oil, plus extra oil in a sprayer
4 x 100g skinless chicken breast fillets
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
8 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
steamed French beans, to serve
1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken for four minutes on each side until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate and to cool.2 Mix together the tarragon, mustard, garlic and lemon rind; season generously. Once the chicken has cooled, spread the mixture evenly over each chicken breast.3 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark five). Lay sheets of filo pastry flat on a work surface and spray with a little oil, then top with another sheet of filo pastry. Lay one mustard chicken breast in the centre of the pastry, lift the edges of the pastry over the chicken and scrunch over the top to enclose. Repeat with the remaining filo pastry and mustard chicken breasts to make four parcels. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until crunchy and golden.4 Place a filo-wrapped chicken breast parcel on each warmed serving plate and add some steamed French beans to serve. 
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: