Leek and goats cheese quiche

Spring is finally making its full approach in Dublin city! Blue skies and sunny days are more frequent, trees are in bloom, birds are singing (at two in the morning! What is going on with these birds...) and thick jumpers, warm boots and heavy jackets are finally making their way towards the wardrobe to stay there until next Winter. Now, do not mind the drizzle of rain every now and then, this is still Ireland after all!
What excites me too about Spring is all the lovely fruit and vegetable that come with it: Swiss chard, asparagus, radishes, beets, baby potatoes, blood oranges, rhubarb, etc.
And my favourite vegetable still in season this March: leek!

I really love eating leek, especially trimmed in a julienne and softened with some butter and white wine (and sometimes even a cheeky dollop of cream). I eat it a lot with fish, but also in a delicious buckwheat galette with a couple of scallops.
Galettes is the name we give in France to savoury buckwheat crepes. They originate from Brittany and can also be called galette de sarrasin or galette de blé noir (sarrasin is for buckwheat, blé noir translates into black wheat).
The only times I eat them is either in a crêperie or back in France in my family home as my mother owns a special pan to make them.
I do not own one of those beautiful (and very heavy) pans but I love the flavour of buckwheat, especially in crusts for tarts or tartlets. I decided to make a lovely quiche with some delicious Irish leeks. I was craving for cheese, and especially for a taste of something new to me, so I decided to take my Spring ramblings towards Sheridans Cheesemongers. There, I found a lovely Irish goat cheese log made by St Tola and I realised it would be perfect for the quiche I had in mind. I also tried some other Irish cheeses that were delicious but let's go back to the point: the leek and goat cheese quiche recipe!

Leek And Goat Cheese Quiche Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6 people)

30g unsalted butter
500g leeks (cut in julienne - see first image on this article)
50ml white wine
6 free range eggs
100ml pouring cream
salt, pepper
200g cubed fresh goat cheese (2cm cubes - the one I used is the Irish St Tola goat cheese log)

For the gluten free dough (350g)
200g buckwheat flour (plus extra for dusting)
100g cold butter (diced)
50g cold water
1 pinch salt

1. To make the dough, put the buckwheat flour, salt and butter in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until you get a fine crumb. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cold water. Knead the ingredients together to shape the dough, flatten it and wrap in clingfilm. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and put the butter in. When it has melted, add in the leek julienne and stir well. Pour in the white wine and stir. Cover the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes (stir every now and then). Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes until the leeks are nice and soft and there is practically no liquid left. Set aside uncovered to cool down a bit.

3. Take the dough out, knead it gently with the heel of your hand. Dust a large flat surface with buckwheat flour. Roll out the dough (about 3 or 4 mm thick) and line a large tart tin (30cm diameter and 3cm high - if possible with a removable bottom) with it. Prick the dough with a fork and set aside.

4. Beat the eggs together in a small salad bowl. Add the cream, salt and pepper, and mix well. Line the bottom of the dough with the softened leeks. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the leeks. Scatter the cubed goat cheese all over the mixture.
Put the dish on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (until the crust is lovely and golden , the egg mixture is all cooked through and the top of the quiche is lightly golden).
Slide the quiche onto a large plate or a board to slice it. Serve with a lovely seasonal salad.

Bon appétit!