Self-Crusting Tomato and Brown Lentil Quiche

Self-Crusting Tomato and Brown Lentil Quiche

Halt! Before you freak out at the presence of the “L” word and let memories of bland bygone quiches prompt you to move on to the next column, let me assure you that this is, hand on heart, the tastiest, most flavoursome quiche I’ve ever had; maybe even the best of all egg-based savoury dishes ever. For realz – its scrumptiousness has been attested to by the most blood-thirsty carnivores I know.* I have slightly adapted this recipe from one originally penned by Kiwi culinary legend, Alison Holst. Get your lentil on, lovelies!

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup of brown lentils (soak for an hour or so beforehand)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 4 free range eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 3/4 cup grated cheese
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- Feta cheese for the topping
- Oil

Method:

1. Soak the lentils in some water for about an hour if you haven’t already (I tried to warn you in the ingredients bit, guys. Keep up …)
2. Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius.
3. Lightly grease a quiche dish/pie plate.
4. Put the lentils in a medium sized saucepan, cover with water, and cook with the bay leaf for about 20 minutes or until they become tender. Drain and set aside.
5. Cook the onions and garlic in a separate pan with little bit of oil. When these have browned, remove them from heat and add the lemon juice and some cracked black pepper.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together; then add the basil, oregano, and salt and mix.
7. Add the grated cheese, flour, and baking powder to the egg mixture, taking care not to over-mix.
8. Add the lentils to the onions, then add this to the egg and cheese mixture.
9. Pour the mix into the dish and top with tomato slices. Crumble the feta cheese on top.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the centre is firm.
11. Serve with seasonal vegetables or a green salad.

*The words “bacon” and “tomato sauce” were not even mentioned. True story.
This article first appeared in Issue 17, 2013.
Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Kirsty Dunn.