$15 Fakeaway Friday: Dished by Kate’s King Charles’ coronation quiche

In 2023, it seems almost impossible to save money, buy good food and treat yourself all at the same time. Enter Fakeaway Fridays, the Herald’s new series where we create fake takeaway (fakeaway) meals that not only are delicious and nutritious, but also come in under $15 and serve two to four people.

So instead of dropping $50 on a takeaway meal this Friday night, why not try a fakeaway! It’s easier than you may think, with our simple tips and tricks and partially made products already hiding on your supermarket shelves.

No coronation party will be complete without the new royal-approved coronation quiche. Dished by Kate’s simple, clearer version of the recipe is stuffed with greens, cheese and surrounded by a luscious, creamy savoury custard. Add crispy, buttery pastry and you’ve got a winner of a bake, fit for a (literal) king.

With a few ingredient switch-ups to accommodate the average Kiwi cook (seriously, where would we even look for lard?), this recipe is simple, scrumptious and all comes to under 15 bucks - even King Charles’ coronation quiche is adhering to cost-cutting practices.

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry

250g plain flour $0.32

125g butter, fridge cold and cubed $1.25

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk $0.15

$1.72

For the quiche

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 spring onions, sliced $0.79

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped (or use tarragon, coriander, flat-leaf parsley or basil) $2.44

1/2 cup edamame beans (or use broad beans or garden peas) $0.70

4 garlic cloves, crushed $0.05

180g spinach leaves $3.30

1/2 cup milk $0.30

3/4 cup cream $1.30

2 eggs $1.70

Black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese $1.87

$12.45

Total: $14.17

This week's Fakeaway recipe is a homage to King Charles' coronation on May 6. Photo / Dished by Kate

Method

1. Make the pastry (if you’re using store-bought pastry, skip this step)

You can do this in a food processor, or by hand.

If you’re using a food processor, add 250 grams of plain flour and one teaspoon of salt to the bowl. Add 125g of cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs. With the motor running, drizzle in three tablespoons of milk or water until you see the pastry starting to come together.

If you’re making the pastry by hand, add 250g flour and one teaspoon of salt to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine them. Add the 125g of cold, cubed butter and use your fingers to press the butter into the flour. Continue in this way until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. While mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula, drizzle in three tablespoons of milk or water and continue mixing until the pastry starts to come together.

Lay out a piece of cling film on a flat surface, and turn the pastry straight out on to it. Use your hands to bring it together into a rough ball, then wrap it tightly in the cling film, and pop it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Roll out the pastry

After the pastry has rested, lightly flour a flat surface and unwrap the pastry. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry out into a circle, just larger than the tin you’re using. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, you can patch it up as you go.

3. Press the pastry into your tin (start here if you’re using store-bought shortcrust pastry)

Lay the pastry on top of your tin, and use your hands to gently press it into the base and sides of your tin. If the pastry tears, use any scraps to patch them up. Place the tin in the fridge while you make the filling.

4. Make the green filling

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan, then add the sliced spring onions and half a teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring for one minute, then add the edamame beans, crushed garlic cloves and mint leaves. Cook for another minute, then add the spinach. Stir for another two minutes, until the spinach has softened and reduced in size, then let it continue to cook for another couple of minutes, so all the water evaporates. Remove the pan from the heat.

5. Blind bake the pastry

Heat your oven to 180C on the fan setting. Press a piece of baking paper on top of the pastry in your tin, then cover the paper with uncooked rice, dried beans or baking beans to weigh it down. Transfer to the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and put it back in the oven for another five minutes, then remove and set aside.

6. Assemble the quiche

Lower the heat of your oven to 160C on the fan setting. Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk well. Add half a cup of milk, three-quarters of a cup of cream, half a teaspoon of salt and a very good grind of black pepper. Whisk again to combine. Scatter three-quarters of the grated cheese on to the base of your pastry shell. Spoon the green mix on top, spreading it out so it’s covering the pastry evenly. Slowly pour the egg/milk/cream mix into the case. Scatter the rest of the cheese all over the top.

7. Bake the quiche

Transfer the quiche to the oven, and bake for 20 – 40 minutes, or until the pastry and the top of the quiche is golden, and the middle is just set. The official recipe states it should take 20 minutes of cooking time, but mine did end up taking longer, so just check it and give it a little more time if it still looks a bit blonde. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before removing it from the tin. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.

Pastry notes:

The quantity of homemade shortcrust pastry in the recipe is enough to make two large quiches. I’d still recommend making this amount if you’re just making one, as it’s always good to have extra for patching up any holes, and if you’re using a slightly larger tin, you’ll need the extra anyway.

Storage instructions:

You can make the quiche up to three days in advance of when you’d like to serve it, then store it covered in the fridge. Either serve it cold, at room temperature, or you can reheat it in the oven. To reheat, cover the quiche with foil and heat in your oven at 150C on the fan setting for 20 minutes until warmed through. You can also freeze the baked quiche – let it cool completely, then cover it with a few layers of tight cling film and pop it into the freezer. Defrost in the fridge overnight (or at room temperature), and then you can heat it for 20 minutes at 160C on the fan setting.

Check out the recipe on Dished by Kate’s website here.