Serves 4
When I first cooked this quiche for my husband and a friend who was visiting us, I was waiting for their feedback a bit nervously. It was a hit. The sweet taste of the caramelized fennel complimented by the rich, slightly acid and nutty flavour of the sherry vinegar along with the addition of goat cheese, all mounted into the crisp puff pastry is all you need for a perfect starter that will definitely wow your guests.
You could try replacing the sherry vinegar with red wine vinegar but I highly recommend you resist the temptation as the outcome is significantly different.
125 mL of sherry vinegar
90 g brown sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
chilli flakes, dried (optional)
500 g fennel (baby preferably), halved lengthways, cored, thickly sliced crosswise
250 mL pouring/whipping cream
2 eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 sheets store-bought frozen butter puff pastry, thawed
30 g kale leaves, blanched and chopped
50 g/ ½ cup goat cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F/ 220°C. Grease your baking dish.
Mix the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small deep sided baking tray. Add the fennel and roast for 35-40 minutes or until sticky and tender.
Reduce temperature to 350°F/180°C. Whisk the eggs, cream, mustard, additional salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined.
Arrange the pastry in the greased tray making sure to overlap the sheets in the center. Add the blanched kale and the caramelized fennel. Pour over the egg mixture and dollop goat cheese around the fennel. Sprinkle with chili flake, if used.
Bake for 40 minutes or until set and golden
NOTES:
Do not use an aluminium baking tray for caramelizing the fennel as the vinegar is acid and interferes with the aluminium.
Try to buy the smallest fennel you can find, otherwise you will end up caramelizing it longer to reach the tender texture needed.
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