Debbie's Potato Crust Quiche — Gluten Free, Rochdale

Debbie made this potato crust quiche for a friend who can't eat gluten. Not a gluten free version of something else — a genuinely good idea in its own right. Boiled potatoes pressed around a pie dish with the back of a spoon, baked until golden, then filled and baked again. The potato is the pastry. It works better than it has any right to.

There's no compromise here. A potato crust quiche is lighter than a shortcrust base, naturally gluten free without trying to replicate anything, and the filling — eggs, cottage cheese, cooked onion, bacon, cherry tomatoes on top — is exactly what a proper quiche should be. Debbie sent me the photo and a few lines of explanation. The rest wrote itself.

This is the kind of cooking that doesn't announce itself. A friend can't eat gluten, so Debbie finds a way to make something they can eat that everyone at the table would want regardless. That's the point.

Serves 4

How to Make a Potato Crust Quiche

Ingredients

• 600g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 200g cottage cheese
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 150g bacon lardons or streaky bacon, roughly chopped
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

Boil the potatoes in well-salted water until completely tender — around 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly and leave to steam dry for a few minutes. This is important — excess moisture will make the crust soggy.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas 5. Grease a 23cm pie dish with olive oil. Tip the potatoes into the dish and use the back of a large spoon to press them evenly across the base and up the sides, forming a crust. It doesn't need to be perfect — a little texture is fine. Season well, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes until golden and beginning to crisp at the edges.

While the crust bakes, cook the onion in a little oil over medium heat until softened — around 8 minutes. Add the bacon and cook until just golden. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, stir through the cottage cheese and season well with salt and black pepper. Add the cooked onion and bacon and mix to combine.

Pour the filling into the baked potato crust. Arrange the cherry tomatoes cut-side up on top. Return to the oven for 25 minutes until the filling is set and the tomatoes are beginning to caramelise.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

This potato crust quiche is featured in my From the Family Kitchen, a collection of family recipes from real kitchens across the UK and Spain, and in my Potato Recipes, a collection of proper spuds.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef