Anna Louise A mushroom quiche done well is one of the most satisfying vegetarian dishes in British cooking. The deep, earthy richness of caramelised mushrooms in a silky, properly seasoned egg and cream custard, in a crisp buttery pastry case — it is substantial, flavourful, and genuinely impressive.
Mary Berry’s mushroom quiche recipe caramelises the mushrooms before they go into the filling — the most important step in the entire recipe.
Raw mushrooms release an enormous amount of water during baking and make the filling watery and the pastry soggy. Caramelised mushrooms have had that moisture driven off and develop a concentrated, deep, earthy flavour that transforms the quiche completely.
A mixture of chestnut and wild mushrooms, cooked together at high heat, gives a more complex, more interesting filling than any single variety alone.
What Makes This Mushroom Quiche Great
Properly caramelised mushrooms. High heat, small batches, five minutes without stirring. The mushrooms must be golden and dry, not pale and wet. This is the single most important step.
Fresh thyme with the mushrooms. Thyme and mushrooms is one of the great herb pairings in European cooking. A teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves added to the mushrooms as they finish cooking gives the quiche a herbal fragrance that elevates the entire dish.
A splash of white wine or sherry in the mushrooms. Added after the mushrooms are golden and dry, a tablespoon of dry sherry or white wine deglazes the pan, adding a complex, slightly nutty note that suits mushrooms beautifully. Leave it out if you prefer — but try it once.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Mushroom Quiche
For the Shortcrust Pastry
- 200g plain flour, sifted
- 100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Pinch of fine salt
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
For the Mushroom Filling
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 150g wild or mixed mushrooms, roughly torn
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp dry sherry or white wine (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Custard
- 3 large eggs
- 250ml double cream
- 100ml whole milk
- 75g Gruyère or mature Cheddar, finely grated
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper
How to Make Mary Berry Mushroom Quiche — Step by Step
Step 1 — Make the Pastry
Pulse flour, salt, and cold butter in a food processor to fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Line and Blind Bake
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Roll the chilled pastry to 3mm on a lightly floured surface. Line a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Blind bake with beans 15 minutes. Remove beans and parchment — bake 8 to 10 minutes until pale golden and dry. Trim the edges. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
Step 3 — Caramelise the Mushrooms
Heat half the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over the highest heat. Add the chestnut mushrooms in one layer. Cook without stirring for three minutes until golden on one side. Stir and cook for two more minutes.
Add the remaining butter and the wild mushrooms. Cook for three to four minutes until all mushrooms are golden and any liquid has completely evaporated.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook for one minute. Add the sherry or wine if using — let it bubble and evaporate completely. Season generously. The mushrooms should look dry, golden, and fragrant.
Step 4 — Make the Custard
Whisk the eggs, double cream, and whole milk together in a jug. Add the grated Gruyère or Cheddar, nutmeg, and generous seasoning with salt and white pepper.
Step 5 — Assemble and Bake
Spread the caramelised mushrooms evenly over the base of the blind-baked pastry case. Pour the custard mixture carefully over the mushrooms — fill to within 5mm of the top of the pastry.
Place on a baking tray. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the filling is set with a very slight central wobble and the top is pale golden.
Step 6 — Cool and Serve
Leave to cool in the tin for twenty minutes before removing and slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Mushroom Quiche
Cook mushrooms in batches at the highest heat. As with every mushroom recipe on this site — high heat, not too many mushrooms in the pan at once, leave undisturbed for two to three minutes before stirring. This gives caramelisation rather than steaming.
The mushrooms must be completely dry before going into the quiche. All liquid must have evaporated. If the mushrooms still look wet when you taste them, cook for another two to three minutes. Wet mushrooms make a wet filling.
Use Gruyère rather than Cheddar if possible. Gruyère has a nutty, slightly sweet character that pairs beautifully with mushrooms. Cheddar gives a sharper, more assertive result. Both work — Gruyère is the preferred choice for a mushroom quiche.
Blind bake the pastry fully. An underbaked pastry case becomes soggy under a liquid filling. Pale golden and completely dry on the base before any filling goes in.
Serve warm not hot. The filling has the best texture and slices most cleanly when slightly warm rather than immediately from the oven.
Serving Suggestions
With a simple green salad — watercress dressed with lemon and olive oil suits mushrooms particularly well. With a glass of dry white wine. As a dinner party starter in smaller portions. Cold in a packed lunch.
How to Store Mary Berry Mushroom Quiche
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Serve cold or warm briefly in a 160°C oven for ten minutes.
In the freezer: Freeze in slices for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm gently.
Mary Berry Mushroom Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make pastry — pulse flour, salt, cold butter to crumbs. Add cold water until dough coheres. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Roll pastry 3mm. Line 23cm tart tin. Prick. Chill 20 minutes. Blind bake with beans 15 minutes. Remove beans — bake 8–10 minutes until pale golden and dry. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
- Cook chestnut mushrooms in half butter and oil over highest heat — 3 minutes undisturbed until golden. Stir — 2 minutes. Add remaining butter and wild mushrooms — 3–4 minutes until all golden and dry. Add garlic and thyme — 1 minute. Add sherry if using — bubble until evaporated. Season.
- Whisk eggs, cream, and milk. Add cheese, nutmeg, and seasoning.
- Spread mushrooms over pastry base. Pour custard over — to within 5mm of the top. Place on baking tray. Bake 28–32 minutes until just set with a slight wobble.
- Cool in tin 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use only button mushrooms?
Yes — button mushrooms give a milder, less complex result but work perfectly well. Use 450g of button mushrooms in place of the mixture.
Can I add cheese on top?
Yes — scatter an extra 25g of grated Gruyère or Parmesan over the custard before baking for a more golden, more cheesy top.
Can I add spinach to this quiche?
Yes — 75g of wilted, thoroughly squeezed spinach scattered over the mushrooms before the custard goes in gives a mushroom and spinach quiche that is equally wonderful.
Why is my mushroom quiche watery?
The mushrooms were not caramelised properly — they still contained moisture when they went into the pastry case. Cook until completely dry and golden before using.
Can I use shop-bought pastry?
Yes — good quality all-butter shortcrust pastry works well. Blind bake as directed.
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