Recipe for Traditional Basic Ham Egg and Onion Flan or Quiche (2024)

Recipe for Traditional Basic Ham Egg and Onion Flan or Quiche (1)

by KathleenDuffy

Make a traditional flan or quiche with either store-bought or home-made flan case. This is a delicious, versatile and economical dish eaten hot or cold.

A flan is an open-top pie – sometimes called a quiche. It can be sweet or savoury. Flans are also extremely economical, as suitable leftovers can be incorporated into the filling.

Nowadays, of course, it is possible to buy basic flan cases at supermarkets as well as frozen shortcrust pastry ready for rolling out – and these are usually of excellent quality. They certainly save time, too.

For those who prefer to make everything from scratch, here is a recipe for shortcrust pastry suitable for the flan case, followed by instructions on how to 'blind' bake the flan cake itself.

Then there follows a simple but delicious recipe for Traditional Ham, Egg and Onion Flan.

It’s handy to remember that all cooked flan cases, even store-bought ones, should be painted inside with beaten egg and allowed to dry before putting in the filling. This ensures that the flan doesn’t have a soggy bottom when the filling is eventually added!

Shortcrust Pastry for Savoury Flan Case – White or Wholewheat

Ingredients:

  • 225 g/8 oz plain white or wholewheat flour or a mixture of the two.
  • ½ level teaspoon salt
  • 50 g/2 oz hard margarine (if using wholewheat add an extra 25 g/1 oz)
  • 50 g/2 oz lard or hard vegetable fat
  • 2 tablespoons cold water (3 for wholewheat)

Directions:

  1. Sieve or mix flour and salt in a bowl.
  2. Cut fats into small pieces.
  3. Put them into a bowl and rub between fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  4. Add the water.
  5. Using a round-ended knife stir the mixture until it begins to bind together.
  6. Using your hands, knead the mixture lightly and quickly until dough is formed.

Note: Any leftover pastry can be frozen for use later.

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Now Bake Your Flan Case 'Blind'

Baking ‘blind’ is a term used for a flan case that is cooked, or partly-cooked, before the filling is added. Here’s how to do it using the above pastry recipe or store-bought short-crust pastry.

Ingredients:

  • Your short-crust pastry, either bought or home-made (see above for recipe)
  • Flan tin or dish
  • Greaseproof paper or foil
  • Little oil or butter/marge for greasing the paper or foil
  • Dried peas or beans (after use, save in a jar for another time - they will be inedible)

Directions:

  1. Put the flan tin or dish on a baking tray.
  2. On a floured board, roll out the pastry to measure 5 cm/2 inches wider than the diameter of the flan tin or dish.
  3. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper or foil the same diameter as the pastry and lightly grease it.
  4. Now fit the pastry into the flan ring, pressing it in firmly, removing the surplus from the top edge.
  5. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, all over.
  6. Scrunch up the greaseproof paper or foil to make it fit into the flan tin easily. Open it out and, grease side down, fit it into the flan.
  7. Add a layer of dried peas or beans - or ceramic pie weights - about 1.5 cm/½ inch deep. This ensures that the flan case stays flat when baking.
  8. Bake in a hot oven, Gas 7, 425°F, 220°C, for approximately 10 minutes.
  9. Remove the beans or peas and the greaseproof paper or foil.
  10. Return the flan case to the oven for a further 10 minutes – keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t get too brown.
  11. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (See image here)
  12. Paint inside of the flan case with beaten egg and allow to dry.

The flan case is now ready for filling.

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Traditional Ham, Egg and Onion Flan Recipe

This is a very basic, simple example of a traditional savoury flan or quiche. There are many variations on this theme and the pastry case can be home to a never-ending variety of meats, vegetables, fish, cheese and herbs.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Home-made (see recipe above) or shop-bought flan case measuring approximately 20 cm/8 inches.
  • 25 g/1 oz ham fat or lard
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 125 g/4 oz cooked ham
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 300 ml/½ pint milk
  • Pepper and pinch of salt
  • 50 g/2 oz grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. If not using a store-bought flan case, bake the flan case as instructed above.
  2. Fry the onion gently in the fat until soft.
  3. Mix together the onion and ham and add to the flan case.
  4. Mix together the eggs, milk and seasoning and add to the flan.
  5. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
  6. Bake near the top of a moderate oven, Gas 6, 400°F, 200°C, for 20 minutes.
  7. Reduce heat to Gas 4, 350°F, 180°C for a further 10 minutes until cooked.

This flan is so versatile that it can be served hot or cold, be a main meal or a starter, go in a lunch-box or a picnic basket. The possibilities are endless.

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Updated: 12/05/2013, KathleenDuffy

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Recipe for Traditional Basic Ham Egg and Onion Flan or Quiche (11)

Recipe for Traditional Basic Ham Egg and Onion Flan or Quiche (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for quiche? ›

The best quiche ratio is 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy. The ratio of the fat content from the dairy and the protein from the eggs determine the custard's final texture. The egg proteins bond to form a soft gel-like texture, while the dairy gives the quiche a creamy flavor.

Is milk or cream better for quiche? ›

Heavy Cream and Milk – For the best tasting quiche, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. (Or simply use half-and-half.) Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better.

What is the best cheese for quiche? ›

Cheese: Add Swiss, Gruyère, feta, goat, Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, or jack cheese to a quiche. Whether you choose grated, crumbled, or shredded cheese, the ingredient will contribute salty flavor and a creamy texture to a standard quiche recipe.

What are 3 main differences between a frittata and a quiche? ›

Origin: Frittata is an Italian dish whereas quiche is a French dish. Crust: A quiche has crust while a frittata does not. Sometimes, quiche is baked without crust. Base Ingredients: While both frittatas and quiches are made with eggs, quiche is made with an egg custard, which also includes cream or milk.

What is a substitute for heavy cream in quiche? ›

Milk and cornstarch

To replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream in your recipe, add 2 tablespoons (19 grams) of cornstarch to 1 cup (237 mL) of milk and stir, allowing the mixture to thicken. You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe.

Why does my quiche always have a soggy bottom? ›

Wet pie fillings + raw dough are a tricky combination. If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Is heavy cream the same as heavy whipping cream? ›

Is Heavy Cream the Same as Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

Why is my quiche always watery? ›

According to Real Simple, this typically occurs when adding too-wet ingredients to the quiche filling, layering the egg custard with, for example, large slices of raw tomato or raw zucchini. These vegetables, while tasty, have a high water content when raw, which will weep into the quiche as it bakes.

What's the difference between cheese flan and quiche? ›

What's the Difference Between Flan and Quiche? Flan, in the British sense, is an open-faced pie or tart with a savory or sweet filling. This can include egg-based pies also called quiche. Quiche is a French dish that is a savory egg tart and can include other fillings like ham, cheese, and vegetables.

Why do you put flour in quiche? ›

Add flour to your filling: Adding a bit of flour to your quiche filling helps absorb moisture and stabilize things in general.

Do you need to prebake pie crust for quiche? ›

And yes, as you'll see, you should always prebake quiche crust to avoid a gummy pastry. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roll out your homemade or purchased refrigerated dough into a 12-inch circle.

What is a quiche without pastry called? ›

WHAT IS A FRITTATA? Frittatas are Italian in origin and can be described as a cross between an omelet and a crustless quiche.

What does Lorraine mean in quiche? ›

Originally, it was a savory pie consisting of an egg and cream custard with bacon or salmon. The French word for cake is "quiche," which might have influenced the name. The dish as we know it today originated in the Lorraine region of France in the 1800s. It consists of eggs and cream or milk in a pastry crust.

What Italian egg dish is similar to a crustless quiche? ›

A frittata is an Italian egg dish like an omelet or quiche but lazy and forgiving. It's lazy because the recipe is easy, and you don't have to do the tricky omelet fold. It's also forgiving since you don't have to make a crust, and it uses no cream or milk, unlike an omelet or quiche.

What is quiche filling made of? ›

Quiche is a savory custard that's made with a combination of eggs and cream or milk. It's typically baked in a pie crust and can be made with a variety of different fillings ranging from meats, vegetables, cheeses, and seafood. Quiches are perfect for serving as any meal- breakfast, lunch or dinner.

What is a quiche base made of? ›

Quiche crusts are made with shortcrust pastry. The name “shortcrust” refers to the baking term “short” which means pastries that are flaky and crumble when you cut into them.

How much milk per egg for scrambled eggs? ›

Adding milk or plain water to scrambled eggs is an optional step that affects the texture of your finished dish. For creamy scrambled eggs, you'll add up to 1 tablespoon of milk for every egg. For fluffy scrambled eggs, you'll add up to 1 tablespoon of water for every egg.

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