HIS & HERS MAGAZINE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS DAVIDSTOW BEST OF BRITISH CUISINE RECIPE TO CELEBRATE PICNIC SEASON.

His & Hers magazine’s staff love cheese: Davidstow Extra Mature has the wow factor, adore quiche and trout…so there’s much in this recipe to celebrate. Quite excited to try this one. Lee Westcott, who created the recipe, was inspired by his visits to Cornish fishing villages.

Smoked Trout, Duck Egg and Watercress Quiche with Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature cheddar

Quintessentially British, a quiche should be the mainstay of any summer picnic or light lunch. My recipe combines smoked trout, duck egg, watercress and a strong cheddar to create something really special for the whole family.

This recipe was inspired by a visit to one of my Cornish fish suppliers. We smoked and cooked a whole trout and when I tasted the Davidstow 18 month cheddar, I wanted to pair them together as it took me back to that day visiting Cornwall’s rugged fishing harbours.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 175g plain flour
• 100g cold butter (grated using a cheese grater)
• 1 duck egg yolk
• 3 teaspoons water
• Pinch of salt

Custard

• 1 duck egg
• 1 duck egg yolk
• 175g double cream
• 25ml whole milk
• 50 g crème fraiche

Filling

• 1 onion, finely diced
• 20g unsalted butter
• 100g watercress, washed
• ½ lemon zest
• 70g Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature cheddar, grated
• 1 pinch fennel seeds
• 1 side of smoked trout, flaked (approximately 150-200g)

Method:

Preheat a fan assisted oven to 175°c

For the pastry

1. Rub the flour, salt and the grated butter until a breadcrumb texture is achieved.
2. Add the egg yolk and water and mix until a soft dough is formed.

Knead the dough for a further minute. Now wrap it in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Take the pastry and roll out to around a 3mm thickness. Use this to line your quiche mould

3. Leave a little over hang of pastry on the edges of the quiche mould. Place baking beans (or rice can be used instead), into parchment paper on top of the pastry.
4. Now bake this at 175°C for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pastry case from the oven. Take away the beans and parchment paper. Now brush the pastry with yolk and bake for a further 5 minutes. This will help to seal the pastry. Allow the pastry to cool.

For the custard;

6. Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

For the filling;

7. Sweat the diced onion in butter with no colour, then add the fennel seeds.
8. Add the washed watercress, mix into the onion mix until the watercress is wilted, now add the ½ lemon zest. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
9. Now add the flaked smoked trout.

To combine;

1. Add the filling, then the custard.
2. Now grate some of the Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature cheddar on top.
3. Bake this again at 155oC for 35 minutes. Allow to completely cool, before trimming the excess pastry on the edge, using a small knife.
4. Once completely cool, remove from the mould.

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