Tumi Mogoai’s Classic Quiche Lorraine With Potato Crust

by El Broide

Tumi made headlines last year when she won the first season of The Taste Master which saw her become the resident chef on SABC 3’s popular magazine show Afternoon Express and has always been a fan of French cuisine. “I’ve always been curious about French cuisine and I understand why the cuisine has been so celebrated. A lot of cooking is rooted in French techniques and I fell in love with this during culinary school. One of the first things I learnt to make was quiche and years later it is still one of my favourite things to make so I am excited to share this with my own little spin, of course.”

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 cup milk
450g grated potatoes (rinsed and drained) 
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
½ tsp salt + 1 tsp for filling
¼ tsp ground pepper + ½ tsp for filling
1 tbsp pecorino romano
½ cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
½ cup mushrooms (fried)
½ cup bacon (fried)
¼ cup onion (sautéed)
½ cup grated hard cheese (I used white cheddar)
1 tsp garlic (sautéed)
1 tsp chopped basil (chopped)

Method:
To begin, preheat your oven to 200°C.
Add your grated potatoes into a large bowl and follow with the olive oil, ½  tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and pecorino romano and stir through.
Using your fingers, fill your baking dish with the potatoes, I used a round tart pan. Start from the middle and working your way out making sure every bit of the bottom and sides is thoroughly covered. Ensure there are no gaps as this forms as the base of your quiche.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked but not brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Reduce your oven temperature to 180˚C.
For your filling, whisk together the eggs and milk before adding the onions, garlic, bacon, cheese, remaining salt, remaining pepper and basil.
Slowly pour the egg mixture over the potatoes making sure ingredients and evenly distributed. Carefully place the halved tomatoes onto the mixture, ensuring that the inside part faces upwards.
Bake the quiche for 30 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the potatoes are nicely golden brown.
Enjoy warm or cold.