Kimchi and cheddar cheese is a top-tier pairing; the acidity and spiciness of the kimchi balanced out perfectly by a sharp and creamy mature cheddar. I often combine the two in a grilled cheese or in scrambled eggs for breakfast and recently had a thought that they’d be great in a quiche. Turns out I was right! If you haven’t yet tried kimchi and cheese together than this might be the recipe for you.
My kimchi and cheddar quiche is great hot or cold and something I’m looking forward to making for picnics when the weather is warm enough for them. It’s also very simple, and while I recommend making your own pastry (I’ve included a great recipe for quiche crust below) it’s fine to use a pre-made crust if the time and effort involved feels a bit much.
The pastry
I’m by no means an expert when it comes to pastry, but I’m trying to learn and become more confident. The easiest way to make this quiche is, of course, to buy a pre-made pie crust and it’s absolutely fine to do that! But I always find I get more satisfaction in making something from scratch, time permitting, and my pastry skills are never going to improve if I don’t get some practise in.
The recipe I used for this quiche crust is from RecipeTin Eats, one of my favourite food blogs. The dough is brought together using a food processor, which makes it very quick and simple with little scope for screwing up – ideal for novice bakers like myself!
The filling
The filling for this quiche is a combination of some of my favourite things. Eggs (of course, this is a quiche), kimchi, cheddar cheese, and spring onion. Four things I always have stocked in my kitchen.
I make my own kimchi under the guidance of the incredible Maangchi, who is my go-to for Korean cooking. You can use shop-bought kimchi but I would encourage you to give making your own a go. It’s very expensive to buy decent unpasteurised kimchi where I live and making my own costs a fraction of the price and yields much more. I now always keep a batch of kimchi in the fridge and it’s easy to understand why 95% of Koreans eat it on a daily basis. Give it a go!
A few words about cheddar
Cheddar originated in Somerset, England and the first records of it date back to the 12th century. It’s the most popular cheese sold in the UK, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly versatile cheese, suitable for use in a wide range of recipes, which can be melted, shredded, and sliced..
If you live in the UK then cheddar can seem like pretty standard faire. Most shops, even small ones, will stock a range of different brands and types, ranging from mild to extra-mature cheddar. But in other countries – as I found when I spent time in Berlin in 2016 – your options might be limited unless you visit a proper cheesemonger. Germans are big consumers of Butterkäse, a very mild cheese that slightly baffled this Scot raised on flavourful and sharp cheddars. Amongst the wall of dozens of different types of Butterkäse in my local Lidl there was one brand of overpriced sliced Irish cheddar I could buy to fill the gap.
If you can’t get hold of a decent cheddar then an aged Gouda would be a good substitute in this recipe, or a Gruyère if you want something a bit milder. But I do think a mature cheddar works best here.
If you make this then please let me know, I’d love to see! You can tag me on Instagram using @glasgowsprout. And make sure to check out my other recipes!
Kimchi & Cheddar Quiche
Kimchi and cheddar cheese are a great match, bringing a lovely balance of spice, tang, and creaminess to this simple quiche.
Ingredients
Quiche pastry
- 185 g plain white flour
- 100 g cold butter cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp ice cold water
Quiche filling
- 5 large eggs
- 1.5 tbsp gochugaru
- 200 ml milk or cream
- 100 g mature cheddar cheese grated
- 200 g kimchi
- 3 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the quiche pastry to the recipe over on RecipeTin Eats. Remember that the dough needs to be rested in the fridge for at least an hour. Alternatively, use a shop-bought crust.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan)
- Beat the eggs together with the milk/cream, gochugaru, salt and pepper.
- Evenly scatter the kimchi, half of the sliced spring onions, and half of the cheese in the quiche crust.
- Pour in the egg mixture and push down the kimchi to make sure everything's as submerged as it can be.
- Scatter the rest of the spring onion and cheese on top as well as the sesame seeds.
- Bake for 35 minutes until set – it should jiggle a little, but if it's still liquidy in the centre give it a few more minutes.
- Eat hot or cold!
