Rule one of a good picnic: don’t bring anything that needs a knife and fork, or a fridge. Rule two: nothing too crumbly (we’re looking at you, filo). Rule three: bonus points if it gets better after a few hours in a sealed plastic container in the sun. Today’s Tunisian-style quiche passes that test with flying colours: it’s sturdy, green, and full of spice and charm. Bake it, slice it, pack it. Eat with your fingers, chase with cold lemonade. And if you drop a piece? Rule four: pretend it never happened.
Broccoli, pea, broad bean and leek maa’kuda
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8-10
Sea salt and black pepper
1 small head broccoli (about 250g), broken into florets
200g frozen broad beans
150g frozen peas
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 leek, sliced, washed and drained
20g bunch basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped
20g bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
For the egg mix
9 eggs
100ml milk, or any milk alternative of your choice
1 tsp flaky sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
First blanch the veg. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli, cook for five minutes, then add the broad beans and cook for another two minutes. Add the peas, boil for a minute more, then drain the lot into a colander.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. In a large saute pan, heat the oil and garlic, then, as soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, stir in the sliced leeks and saute for two minutes. Add all the drained blanched vegetables, stir well, add all the herbs, mix again, then take off the heat.
Line a roughly 26cm-diameter baking tin with a large sheet of paper that comes all the way up the sides, so the egg mix won’t leak out later. Transfer the hot vegetables to the lined tin and pop into the hot oven for three minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk all the egg ingredients, then pour over the vegetables in the tin. Turn down the heat to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5, then return the tin to the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the eggs are completely set and golden.
Take out of the oven, leave to cool, then cover and chill in the tin – the maa’kuda is best rested for a couple of hours before slicing and taking on your picnic.