Fragrant fennel seeds add a tasty twist to this deliciously simple cheese and onion quiche. It makes a perfect light lunch or easy dinner.
As Pesach approaches, I’ve started my annual ’emptying of the freezer’ ritual. I’ve never yet managed to get it completely empty but we do usually get at least a couple of drawers cleared.
There was a raw pastry case in there, which had been lurking for a few months – I’d accidentally made twice as much pastry as I needed for something else, so rolled out the excess and froze it as a pastry case. It cooked up beautifully from frozen.
Childhood memories
Cheese and onion quiche is a dish I remember fondly from childhood. My Mum used to make it, and I think she called it cheese and onion pie. Which of course lead us to an in-depth discussion as we ate my version – was it a pie? A quiche? A tart? A flan?
I think we agreed that to be a tart, it would need to be sitting in an Amsterdam shop window! But the differences between a cheese and onion quiche, a cheese and onion flan and a cheese and onion pie were more elusive.
Lovely light lunch
Whatever you call it, it is delicious, and – especially if you have a ready-made pastry case – extremely simple to make. The fennel seeds add a tasty twist, and bring out the flavour of the cheddar and the sweetness of the caramelised onions. It makes a perfect light lunch with a green salad, and possibly a few new potatoes.
Ingredients for cheese and onion quiche with fennel seeds
This lovely quiche is a terrific demonstration that you don’t need fancy ingredients to make a spectacular dish! From a handful of pantry and fridge staples, you can whip up something delicious in no time at all. To make this cheese and onion quiche, you will need:
- An uncooked shortcrust pastry case – see below if you don’t have one stashed in your freezer!
- Grated cheese – I used cheddar but you can choose your favourite hard cheese, or use a mixture of cheeses
- Onions – they’re right there in the name, after all!
- Olive oil – for frying the onions
- White wine vinegar – balances the flavours
- Fennel seeds – so delicious!
- Eggs and milk to make the ‘custard’ that holds it all together.
Quick pastry case
If you don’t happen to have a pastry case in the freezer, you can make one as follows: Rub 175g flour into 85g butter or margarine to form crumbs. Add cold water to bring it together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins. Roll the pastry out, line your pie dish, and refrigerate (or freeze) at least another 30 minutes before continuing with the recipe below.
(Alternatively, you could make a crustless quiche!)
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📖 Recipe
Cheese and onion quiche with fennel seeds
Ingredients
- 4-5 onions (approx. 600g or 21 oz)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 6 eggs
- 75 ml milk
- 1 23cm uncooked shortcrust pastry case (9-inch)
- 200 g grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- 4-5 onions , 4 tbsp olive oilPeel and thinly slice the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, and sauté the onions until softened and beginning to brown. Stir occasionally to encourage even browning.
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp fennel seedsStir in the white wine vinegar and the fennel seeds with the onions and stir and scrape to deglaze the pan. Set aside.
- 6 eggs, 75 ml (⅓ cup) milkMix the eggs and milk together well.
- 1 23cm uncooked shortcrust pastry case, 200 g (1¾ cups) grated cheddar cheeseMeanwhile, bake the pastry case blind for around 15 minutes (less for a non-frozen pastry case) or until just starting to colour. Remove the pastry case from the oven, and spread the onion mixture over the bottom. Top with the grated cheddar, then pour the egg mixture carefully over the top. Wiggle the case a few times to ensure the liquid has penetrated through the cheese and onions. (You may not fit all the egg mixture into the case.)
- Bake the cheese and onion quiche at 200°C (400°F) for 35-40 minutes until golden, and set in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, before serving warm.
Nutrition
More recipes using fennel seeds and onions
More delicious recipes with fennel seeds and caramelised onions include:
- this rich and creamy parsnip and pea soup with fennel seeds
- this hearty and filling baked barley risotto with butternut squash
- this summery caramelised onion and feta galette
- these delicious vegan savoury muffins with caramelised onions and smoked tofu
- this gorgeous caramelised onion and feta puff pastry tart.
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