Salmon and Broccoli Quiche

My mother was coming for a 6 week long visit from Malaysia. She's always been a quiche fan and moreover loves it when there's salmon tucked somewhere. You see...Salmon in Malaysia is freakishly expensive. Well, we do get a load of local fish but salmon is to Brits like what Talapia is to us. Anyway, After watching Masterchef and Jay having cooked up a beautiful version of this quiche, I figured I'd make it my own as well...

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

2/3 cups milk

125gms salted butter

2 cups self-raising flour

Baking beans

For the filling:

About 400gms salmon fillet

2 tbsp olive oil

1 head of broccoli - cut into florets

1 cup grated parmesan  / cheddar cheese

3 stalks of fresh dill - finely chopped

1 bunch of chives - finely chopped

124ml double cream

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Method:

1. Firstly prepare the pastry. In a pot, melt the butter with the milk on low heat. Sift the flour in a mixing bowl while butter melts. When butter is fully melted then pour the butter and milk mixture into the flour. Then with a dough hook (with a cake mixer) or your fingers (if doing by hand), incorporate the ingredients together until it forms a dough. Then clingwrap it and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes or longer.
2. In the meantime, prepare your salmon fillet. Season it with salt and pepper and dribble with some olive oil. Then on a heated pan, grill the salmon fillet slowly so that it cooks through. Should be about 4 minutes on each side. 
3. Then in a separate pot, boil water and reduce to simmering to cook the broccoli. Drain and let it cool.
4. Flake the salmon fillet and let it cool after it is cooked.
5. Heat up the oven to 180 Degree Celcius.
6. Now, remove pastry from the fridge and roll it out to about 5mm. Then carefully using the rolling pin, take the front end of the pastry and place it on top of the rolling pin, and slowly encase the rolling pin with the pastry. Then place it on a pie tin and unroll the pastry. Tuck in the pastry to ensure to air is under the pastry. Cut off excess pastry (leave some jutting out) and then prick the base of the pastry with a fork to allow air to escape during the baking process. Lay either aluminium foil or baking parchment on top of the pastry and pour the baking beans in. This is so that when the pastry is being baked blind, it does not puff up. Bake the pastry blind for about 15 minutes.
7. Then in a jug or mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, double cream, chives and salt and pepper. Set aside.
8. Remove the pastry from the oven after 15 minutes, remove the baking beans together with the parchment / foil and return to oven for another 5 minutes.
9. Then take out the pastry, and start the assembly bit. Firstly lay the broccoli in a a circle with the flower bit sticking out and stems facing in. Then scatter the salmon fillet all around followed by the scattering of chopped dill. After which the grated parmesan / cheddar cheese is scattered before pouring in the cream mixture.
10. Return to the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and remove from oven and let it rest.
11. Serve warm with some salad.

Click here for Jay's original recipe. 

What else can you ask for right?

The Innovative Baker