The recipe for cabbage and stilton quiche by Thomasina Miers | The new flexitarian

There's nothing more rewarding than a quiche - a still-warm, lightly set, perfectly seasoned egg custard with cheese, herbs, vegetables, all enclosed in buttery puff pastry. As we are in shoot season, which thankfully extends well beyond Christmas, it seemed only right to add them to the lineup as well. A steamed sprout should give a satisfying texture - not too soft, not too crunchy - and goes well with blue cheese. a few if it convinces you to try making this.

Preparation 25 minCooking 1 hr 15 minServes 6

400g Brussels sprouts, halved2 large onions, peeled and minced2 tbsp olive oil2 garlic cloves, peeled and choppedA few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked350ml double cream1 egg, plus 3 egg yolks100g finely grated cheddar cheeseNutmeg200g stilton

For the dough175g cold unsalted butter350g sifted spelled flour½ tsp fine sea salt1 egg separated, the white lightly beaten fork

First make the dough. Rub the butter into the flour and salt briefly until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and, using a fork, stir in just enough beaten egg white to bind together. Roll into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

For the filling, steam the sprouts for five minutes until tender. be tender. Meanwhile, sweat the onions in the oil over medium heat for five minutes, then add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until softened.

< p class="dcr-1b64dqh">Heat oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Coarsely grate the dough into a buttered quiche pan, leaving extra dough for overhanging later. Flatten the dough with your fingers, then flatten it with a small floured glass. Prick with a fork, cover with parchment paper and dried beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, brush the base with the remaining egg white and return to the oven for five to 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Lower the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and incorporate the sprouts into the onion mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, yolks, cheddar and a generous grater of nutmeg. Break up half a walnut-sized pieces of stilton and season lightly, remembering that the stilton will already be salty. Pour the vegetables directly from the pan into the cooked pie shell, pour over the cream mixture and add a final grated nutmeg. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until puffed, golden and just set.

The simple flex

Vegans can use shortcrust pastry without ingredients dairy and a vegan cheese, doubling the thyme and onions and adding a little yeast extract for extra flavor.