Coronation Quiche

A recipe released by Buckingham Palace to celebrate King Charles III coronation on May 6, 2023. The original called for broad beans, which are challenging to find. Peas are a delicious substitute. Feel free to try other herbs with the quiche, such as dill, oregano or basil. Enjoy hot or cold with a green salad and boiled new potatoes.

Makes 1 - 9” pie

Single crust pastry, or 250 g block of ready-made short crust pastry

• ½ cup milk
• ¾ cup heavy cream (33%)
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp dried
• 1 cup grated old cheddar
• 180 g cooked chopped spinach, liquid squeezed out
• ½ cup cooked peas, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line an 8” tart pan with removeable bottom with the pastry. Prick all over with a fork. Line the pastry with parchment paper – to do this, cut a disc of greaseproof paper larger than the tin, scrunch it into a ball (this makes it more pliable), then unwrap and place it in the pastry case. It should come above the sides. Fill with baking beans (lentils or navy beans work well) or uncooked rice and bake blind for 25 minutes until nicely golden and dry. Carefully remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans, and return to the oven for 5 mins to dry the base.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Meanwhile, whisk the milk, cream, eggs and tarragon with some seasoning. Scatter half of the grated cheese in the blind-baked base, top with the chopped spinach and peas, then pour over the liquid mixture. If required, gently give the mixture a delicate stir to ensure the filling is evenly dispersed, but be careful not to damage the pastry case. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for 30-50 mins until set and very lightly golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.