SAND CRAB, FETA AND SILVERBEET QUICHE
Ingredients
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250 g plain flour, extra to dust
130 g salted butter, chilled and diced
1 tbsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp cold water
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2 tsp olive oil
knob of unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
3 shallots, finely sliced
100 ml white wine
150 g silverbeet, stalks chopped into 1 cm pieces, leaves roughly chopped
200g Henderson Seafoods raw sand crab meat
160 g crème fraîche
2 medium free range eggs, beaten
160ml double cream
finely grated zest 1 lemon
½ tsp white pepper
100g feta, cut into small cubes
Method
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25 cm flan tin
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For the pastry, rub the butter and flour together with your hands until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in the fennel seeds and add the water, bit by bit, until the pastry comes together into a smooth ball (do not over-mix). Put in a reusable plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over a low-medium heat, then add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Gently cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and spinach stalks, simmer for 5 minutes, then stir through the spinach leaves. Cook until the wine has evaporated and the shallots are translucent, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat the oven to 160°C and grease 25cm flan tin with butter. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry until wide enough to fill the case with at least 2cm overhang. Line the tin with the pastry, pushing it into the edges, then prick the base with a fork. Scrunch up a large sheet of baking paper, flatten it out then lay it on top of the pastry. Fill with baking beans or uncooked rice and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans/rice and paper, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Leave to cool, then use a knife to trim away the excess pastry around the edge.
To make the filling, mix Henderson Seafoods raw sand crab meat with the crème fraîche, eggs, double cream, lemon zest, pepper and a pinch of salt. Gently mix in the feta. Pour a little of the mixture into the bottom of the pastry case, then top with the spinach mixture, gently moving the leaves around so there are no air gaps.
Turn the temperature of the oven down to 140°C. Cook the quiche for 45 minutes so there’s still a slight wobble, then take it out of the oven and leave to cool before slicing.
