Smoked trout, duck egg and watercress quiche

Quintessentially British, a quiche should be the mainstay of any picnic or light meal. Lee Westcott's recipe combines smoked trout, duck egg, watercress and a strong cheddar to create something really special for the whole family. ‘This recipe was inspired by a visit to one of my Cornish fish suppliers,' says Lee.

‘We smoked and cooked a whole trout and when I tasted the Davidstow 18-month cheddar, I wanted to pair them together as it took me back to that day visiting Cornwall’s rugged fishing harbours.’

Serves: 4-6

For the pastry

175g plain flour

100g cold butter (grated using a cheese grater)

1 duck egg yolk

3 teaspoons water

Pinch of salt

For the custard

1 duck egg

1 duck egg yolk

175g double cream

25ml whole milk

50g crème fraiche

For the filling

1 onion, finely diced

20g unsalted butter

100g watercress, washed

ó lemon zest

70g Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature cheddar, grated

1 pinch fennel seeds

1 side of smoked trout, flaked (approximately 150-200g)

1 Preheat a fan-assisted oven to 175°C. Rub the flour, salt and the grated butter until a breadcrumb texture is achieved.

2. Add the egg yolk and water and mix until a soft dough is formed. Knead the dough for a further minute. Now wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. Take the pastry and roll out to around a 3mm thickness. Use this to line your quiche mould. Leave a little overhang of pastry on the edges of the quiche mould. Place baking beans (or rice can be used instead), into parchment paper on top of the pastry. Bake at 175°C for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the pastry case from the oven. Remove the beans and parchment paper. Brush the pastry with yolk and bake for a further 5 minutes. This will help to seal the pastry. Allow the pastry to cool.

5. For the custard, mix all ingredients together and set aside.

6. For the filling, heat some butter in a pan and cook the diced onion for a few minutes until softened, then add the fennel seeds. Add the washed watercress and mix with the onion until the watercress is wilted. Add the lemon zest. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then add the flaked smoked trout.

7. Add the filling, then the custard. Now grate some of the Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature cheddar on top. Bake this again at 155°C for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely, before trimming the excess pastry on the edge, using a small knife. Once completely cool, remove from the mould.

For more about Davidstow cheddar, visit davidstowcheddar.co.uk