Nadiya Hussain’s Rosti Cheese Quiche

This wonderful dish is simple to prepare and an absolute show-stopper.

It’s been a while since we cooked a Quiche.  In the 70s we remember making one once a week.  Watching “Nadiya Bakes”, Nadiya Hussain’s latest series on Netflix, we were drawn to this crispy-crusted version of the classic.  Both Sweet and Yukon Gold potatoes are grated and pressed into a 9-inch tart tin. This crust bakes for a good 25 to 30 minutes. It gets even crispier in another five minutes in the oven. In goes the filling, a mixture of grated cheddar cheese and chives. What emerges from the oven 20 minutes later is an eggy-custardy delight in a crunchy “rosti” crust.  Its filling set, it’s a perfect dish to pair with a green salad for lunch, brunch, or a light supper.

Devotees of the Great British Baking Show will recognize one of its most successful entrants.

Season 6 winner, Nadiya Hussain, is the most famous winner of this enormously popular series.  The year Nadiya won, 15 million people viewed the finale, making it was the most-watched program in Britain in all of 2015.  At the time, she was a 29-year-old self-described ‘mum’ of three children living in Leeds. Her Bangladeshi father was the chef/owner of an Indian restaurant. Nadiya, however, learned cooking in school. Her mother had never baked and used the family oven for storage. Hussain had overcome a panic disorder as a teenager. When she won, Nadiya said “I’m never gonna put boundaries on myself ever again. I’m never gonna say I can’t do it. I’m never gonna say ‘maybe’. I’m never gonna say, ‘I don’t think I can.’ I can and I will.” Even Mary Berry teared up on that one.

Nadiya Hussain broke barriers. The author of a British Government report wrote: “She did more for British-Muslim relations than 10 years of government policy.”

Nadiya is proof positive that food brings people together. She began wearing a hijab at age 14 to cover up her ‘bad hair’ because her father “cut it really badly”.  The hijab was an important symbol. Her popularity with audiences was an important step in lifting stereotypes about Muslims.  It’s almost impossible not to love this lively and oh-so-relatable ‘mum’ as she takes to the kitchen.  “Nadiya Bakes” is her fifth series for the BBC. Hussain has been named one of the 500 most influential people in the United Kingdom by Debrett’s and was on BBC New’s 100 Women List.  She was invited to bake a cake for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday celebrations. And in 2020 she was awarded an MBE—the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire–for her contributions to Broadcasting and the Culinary Arts. Here’s today’s recipe and another Nadiya treat for you to try.

Nadiya Hussain's Rosti Cheese Quiche

April 27, 2021

Servings: 6

Cook: 50 min

Difficulty: Really very easy

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A crispy-crunchy crust made of Sweet and Yukon Gold Potatoes makes a classic Quiche both gluten-free and great to eat.

By: Monte Mathews

Ingredients

• For the base:
• Butter or oil, for greasing the tin
• 1 large white potato, unpeeled (you should have 325g/11oz)
• 1 large sweet potato, unpeeled (you should have about 325g/11oz)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 3 tsp onion granules
• 40g/1.4oz corn starch
• 1 medium egg, plus another for brushing
• For the filling:
• 3 medium eggs
• 150ml/5 oz. whole milk
• 150g/5 oz. mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• A small handful of fresh chives
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Step 1 You will need a 24cm round tart tin or pie dish.
• Step 2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F. Start by generously greasing a 24cm/9 inch round tart tin or pie dish, preferably not loose-bottomed as this will save us from any leakages.
• Step 3 Grate the potatoes and squeeze out any excess moisture. Pop the potato into a bowl along with the salt, paprika, garlic, onion, and corn starch and mix really well, making sure it is all evenly distributed. Add the egg and mix through well – you should have a mixture that is well coated and clumps together.
• Step 4 Tip the mixture out into the dish and using the back of a spoon press tightly into the base and sides. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
• Step 5 Take the dish out and using the back of a spoon press the mixture into the base and sides again. Brush the base and sides with the egg, generously filling in any gaps that might be there and any gaps that might not be. More is more! Pop back into the oven for 5 minutes.
• Step 6 Meanwhile, make the filling by adding the eggs and milk to a jug and whisking till well blended.
• Step 7 Take the tart shell out and add the cheese into the shell. Pour the egg and milk mixture straight in, sprinkle over the chives and add a sprinkling of salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes till the center is just wobbly.
• Step 8 Leave to cool for about 30 minutes, allowing the eggy custard mix to set, then take out, slice and it is ready to eat.

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