Leek and Spinach Quiche

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Wrapping Dough

1. 1
   Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the cold butter in cubes and rub it in with your fingertips, until coarse crumbs form.

   💡The butter must stay cold: butter that melts in your hands gives a hard dough instead of a crumbly one. Work quickly, and if the dough warms up, put it back in the fridge.
3. 3
   Add the cold water and quickly bring together with your hands, without kneading, just until the dough comes together.

   💡Knead as little as possible: long kneading develops gluten, and the dough comes out tough and shrinks in the oven.
4. 4
   Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

   ⚙ Wrapping and Chilling the DoughPlastic wrapRefrigerator

   💡Chilling firms the butter and relaxes the gluten: the dough rolls out easily, doesn't stick to the counter and doesn't shrink in the oven.

To assemble

1. 5
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 6
   Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
3. 7
   Add the leek and fry 8 minutes, until it is soft.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 8
   Add the spinach and cook another 2 minutes, until wilted.

   Stove
5. 9
   Beat the eggs and cream with half of the cheese, nutmeg, salt and black pepper.

   BowlWhisk
6. 10
   Roll out the dough and line 26 cm pie pan with it. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.

   ⚙ Rolling Out DoughRolling pin

   💡Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn between rolls: this keeps it even in thickness and stops it sticking to the counter. If it springs back, cover for 10–15 minutes and try again.
7. 11
   Bake the crust on its own at 180°C (355°F) 10 minutes, until it is lightly golden.

   ⚙ BakingOvenRound pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
8. 12
   Scatter the leek and spinach over the crust and pour the egg mixture on top.
9. 13
   Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
10. 14
    Bake at 180°C (355°F) 30–35 minutes, until the filling is set and golden.

    ⚙ BakingOvenRound pan
11. 15
    Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.