In a quiche sans pâte (“without crust”), flour is added to the batter so it holds its shape on its own. This traditional French dish is the poor sister of the “crusted” quiche, which steals all the limelight. Yet it beats its star sibling flat out when it comes to popularity in French households. The reason? It is quick and easy to prepare, only uses basic cupboard ingredients and is simply, well, delicious.
Quiche Lorraine sans pâte with grated courgettes
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Recipe by: Anne-Laure at Tasty Diaries Busy:15 min, Total prep time: 45 min using individual moulds Serves: 6-8 (24 slices) |
Chop the onion finely.
Heat a frying pan on medium-low heat and sauté the pancetta cubes for 2-3 minutes. Add the onions, sauté for another 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent but not browned.
WIth the back of a spoon or the palm of your hand (I love using my hands, even it it’s messier!), press on the courgette shavings to drain as much water out as possible. Add the courgette to the pan with the onions and pancetta and sauté for 5 more minutes.
In a mixing bowl mix the flour with the eggs. Slowly stir the milk in. Add the grated cheese, a good sprinkling of pepper and a tiny bit of salt (you don’t need much of it as the pancetta and cheese already do most of the job). Mix well.
For easier unmoulding place a disk of baking paper as the bottom of the dish or your individual moulds/ramekins. Butter the mould(s) to prevent the quiche from sticking. If you spread a tiny bit of butter at the bottom of your dish before placing the paper, it will act as an edible Blu Tack and fix the paper to the dish - much easier for buttering!
Drain any juices from the pancetta and courgette mix and toss into the dish. Pour the batter on top and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes if using a large dish or 30 minutes for individual moulds.
For a nice and crispy top, gently brush the crust 30 mins into the baking with melted butter.
Let the quiche sit for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven. This will allow the batter to set.
Serve with a green salad on the side. It like to use baby spinach leaves sprinkled with vinaigrette or olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Wash the courgette, trim and discard the ends. Grate it with its skin on using the larger holes of your grater. Toss the bits into a strainer and sprinkle with salt to extract their water content. Set aside.
Chop the onion finely.
Heat a frying pan on medium-low heat and sauté the pancetta cubes for 2-3 minutes. Add the onions, sauté for another 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent but not browned.
WIth the back of a spoon or the palm of your hand (I love using my hands, even it it’s messier!), press on the courgette shavings to drain as much water out as possible. Add the courgette to the pan with the onions and pancetta and sauté for 5 more minutes.
In a mixing bowl mix the flour with the eggs. Slowly stir the milk in. Add the grated cheese, a good sprinkling of pepper and a tiny bit of salt (you don’t need much of it as the pancetta and cheese already do most of the job). Mix well.
For easier unmoulding place a disk of baking paper as the bottom of the dish or your individual moulds/ramekins. Butter the mould(s) to prevent the quiche from sticking. If you spread a tiny bit of butter at the bottom of your dish before placing the paper, it will act as an edible Blu Tack and fix the paper to the dish – much easier for buttering!
Drain any juices from the pancetta and courgette mix and toss into the dish. Pour the batter on top and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes if using a large dish or 30 minutes for individual moulds.
For a nice and crispy top, gently brush the crust 30 mins into the baking with melted butter.
Let the quiche sit for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven. This will allow the batter to set.
Serve with a green salad on the side. It like to use baby spinach leaves sprinkled with vinaigrette or olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I like to add vegetables to my quiches to make them more nutritionally balanced. Broccoli or leeks are also great alternatives to the courgette. The secret to achieving a nice batter when using veggies is to get their moisture contents out before adding them, otherwise the batter will split and be soggy. Just sauté them for 5 mins and drain the juices out beforehand, that will do. For mums of kids who don’t like courgettes (mine have a deep running hatred of them), and who are li That does’t stop them from eating it in this quiche though, as I sneakily trick them by peeling the courgette, which then magically disappears into the batter. Not very fair play I admit but my satisfaction of seeing them get all their needs in one bite far outweighs any remote hint of guilt!
Ingredients
1 courgette
1 yellow onion
100g pancetta cubes
100g flour
100g grated ementhal cheese, or gruyere for a stronger taste
3 eggs
50 cl milk
Salt and pepper
Knob of butter
1 courgette
1 yellow onion
100g pancetta cubes
100g flour
100g grated ementhal cheese, or gruyere for a stronger taste
3 eggs
50 cl milk
Salt and pepper
Knob of butter
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