Tuna Quiche

 Years ago, during a Golf lunch at Doom Dooma Planters Club, I had served Tuna Quiche. I was young, loved cooking and didn't care that I had to cook for a 100 odd guest. Thank God, I was young and foolish! Or else, why would I take the task of baking Quiches for such a large crowd? But, I did and it turned out perfect. The Senior Planter Ladies were a   formidable lot !  I was the only Manager's wife with a 3month old baby and 4 year old bundle of mischief. I  didnt fit into the ' Bara Memsahib' circle  but my  love for cooking saved me! My golf mad husband  never thought that I didnt fit into such a senior crowd, hazards of being a golfer's wife. Golf, mostly was popular amongst  the senior Planters in those days and tennis  the  choice of the younger crowd. I was kind of a lonely wife.  Organizing golf lunches and breakfasts 

This recipe that I'm sharing today is the same. The quiche has a very crisp pastry, with creamy filling full of flavour. The Tuna Quiche was such a hit, that the next day, I had a visitor at our Bungalow. A manager's wife from another company , who had  until then probably didn't know of my existence arrived at our home, bearing gifts for my baby girl and spending a lovely morning with me.I was a bit surprised by this gesture. At the end , she asked me for the recipe of the Quiche, I had served at the Golf Luncheon. Ladies were not always very forthcoming with sharing recipes unless you were close friends. I happily wrote it down for her. And, once again, I'm happily writing,  17 years later, the only difference , this time I'm typing on a key board. Times have changed but flavours linger on.

Quiche : Serves 4 as a main course or 6/8 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

For Pastry:

1 cup Plain flour

90 gm butter (I used Amul butter)

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon  lemon juice

For Filling: 

250gm canned Tuna or boiled chicken breast

1 cup cream

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

2 medium sized onions, sliced thin

100gm button mushroom, sliced 

1/2 tsp  Paprika

2 tablespoon chopped parsely

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese (you can replace with  grated processed cheese but the taste of Parmesan is sharper)

salt to taste

1 tsp crushed pepper

Method:

Sift the flour in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Mix to a firm dough with lightly beaten egg yolk and the lemon juice. You can add a couple of teaspoon of cold water if necessary.  Turn  the pastry on to a lightly floured surface, gently knead.

Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a circle, large enough to cover the base and sides of 9 inch, loose bottom flan tin.

Lift pastry gently into the flan tin.

Ease pastry to the side of the tin and with your fingers, press into the grooves . Handle gently, taking care not to tear the pastry.

Roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin, this will cut off te excess pastry and give a neat edge.

Refrigerate for an hour.

For Filling:

Drain the tuna off its liquid.

Flake it lightly and if using chicken cut into thin strips. 

Line the base of the pastry case with the Tuna meat or the chicken. cover the entire base generously. 

Heat a pan with 1/2 tsp butter and lightly saute the onion, when it turns pink add the mushroom and lightly fry for about 2 mins. 

Layer with the mushroom and fried onion  over the Tuna / chicken.

Beat together eggs, cream, milk  salt, pepper, parsley and the parmesan cheese.

Carefully pour the egg mixture over the filled pastry case.

Bake in a moderate hot oven for 10 mins and then reduce low heat and bake for further 30/35 mins  or until the filling has set. 

Cool slightly and  transfer to a serving plate.

Cut into wedges and serve with a salad.

Write to me your experience or queries in the comments.
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