Anna Louise I make this quiche when I want something that looks genuinely special but does not require a great deal of effort. Smoked salmon in a quiche is one of those combinations that seems more impressive than it is.
The silky, slightly smoky fish against the rich, creamy egg and cream cheese custard, fragrant with fresh dill, in a crisp buttery pastry case. It looks elegant, it tastes extraordinary, and people always ask for the recipe.
The key to a great smoked salmon quiche is the filling. Rather than just eggs and cream — which would be too mild to properly complement the strong flavour of the smoked salmon — this recipe uses cream cheese stirred through the custard.
The cream cheese gives the filling a slight tang and a silkiness that suits the smoked salmon beautifully and makes the texture noticeably richer.
Fresh dill is the herb for smoked salmon. It is not negotiable. The slightly anise, grassy freshness of dill against smoked salmon is one of those classic pairings that exists because it genuinely works better than any alternative.
A Few Notes on the Smoked Salmon
Use good quality smoked salmon — this is not the place for the thin, slightly dry trimmings packet. The salmon is the primary flavour in the filling and its quality matters.
The salmon goes in raw and cooks gently in the custard during baking. This gives a tender, slightly silky result that is much more pleasant than salmon that has been pre-cooked and then baked again. Do not cook it first.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Smoked Salmon 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 Smoked Salmon Filling
- 200g good quality smoked salmon, torn into pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 200ml double cream
- 150g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 100ml whole milk
- Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped — plus a little extra to finish
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- Freshly ground white pepper and a little salt — taste before adding salt as salmon is salty
How to Make Mary Berry Smoked Salmon Quiche
Step 1 — Make the Pastry
Pulse flour, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until 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 on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness. Line a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Line with baking parchment and baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment — bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes until pale golden and completely dry. Trim the edges. Reduce the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3 — this slightly lower temperature than other quiches on the site is because the cream cheese filling needs gentle heat to set silkily rather than at all rubbery.
Step 3 — Make the Filling
Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth — this is much easier if it is at room temperature. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add the double cream and whole milk and whisk until smooth and combined. Add the lemon zest, chopped dill, sliced spring onions, and a little white pepper. Taste before adding salt — the smoked salmon will add a lot of saltiness to the finished quiche.
Step 4 — Assemble
Scatter the torn smoked salmon pieces evenly over the base of the blind-baked pastry case. Pour the cream cheese custard gently over the salmon — fill to within 5mm of the top of the pastry.
Step 5 — Bake
Place on a baking tray. Bake at 170°C for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is just set with a slight tremor in the very centre — set at the edges, barely trembling in the middle. It should look pale and elegant rather than deeply golden on top.
Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Scatter a little fresh dill over the top before serving.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Smoked Salmon Quiche
Beat the cream cheese until smooth before adding anything else. Cold or unbeaten cream cheese leaves small lumps in the custard that do not blend out during baking. Soft, beaten cream cheese incorporates perfectly into the eggs and cream.
Use 170°C not 180°C. The cream cheese in this filling means it needs a slightly lower, more gentle heat than a standard quiche. Too high and the cream cheese proteins can seize and give a slightly grainy texture. 170°C gives a silky, perfectly set result.
Taste the custard for salt before pouring it over the salmon. Smoked salmon is very salty. The custard may need very little or no added salt at all — always taste first.
Scatter the salmon loosely. Do not pack it in — it should be in rough, natural pieces scattered across the base of the pastry case. The custard will flow around and between the pieces and every slice will have a beautiful distribution of fish throughout.
Serve warm not hot. Like all quiches on this site — warm gives the best texture and the cleanest slices. Twenty minutes out of the oven is the ideal serving temperature.
Serving Suggestions
With a watercress and cucumber salad for a truly elegant lunch. As a dinner party starter in small portions — cut into thin slices and served on small plates with extra dill. At a summer buffet or picnic. Cold the next day with a green salad — smoked salmon quiche is arguably better cold.
How to Store Mary Berry Smoked Salmon Quiche
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 2 days. Smoked salmon does not keep as long as other quiche fillings. Serve cold or warmed briefly in a 160°C oven.
Freezing is not recommended — smoked salmon becomes slightly rubbery when frozen and defrosted.
Mary Berry Smoked Salmon Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make pastry — pulse to crumbs, add cold water, wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Roll to 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 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Add cream and milk — whisk until smooth. Add lemon zest, dill, spring onions, and white pepper. Taste carefully before adding salt.
- Scatter torn smoked salmon over pastry base. Pour custard over — fill to within 5mm of the top.
- Place on baking tray. Bake at 170°C for 30–35 minutes until just set with a slight central wobble. Cool in tin 20 minutes. Scatter fresh dill. Serve warm.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use hot smoked salmon instead of cold smoked?
Yes — hot smoked salmon gives a flakier, slightly more robust texture and a more pronounced smoky flavour. Flake it into the pastry case rather than tearing it. Both versions are excellent.
Can I use crème fraîche instead of cream cheese?
You can — the filling will be slightly less silky and slightly less rich. Cream cheese gives this quiche its specific, distinctive creaminess. If you only have crème fraîche, it works but the result is different.
Can I use dried dill instead of fresh?
I would not for this recipe. Dried dill tastes flat and slightly dusty compared to the vivid, grassy freshness of fresh dill. If you cannot find fresh dill, fresh chives are a reasonable alternative.
Can I add capers to the filling?
Yes — a tablespoon of rinsed capers scattered over the salmon before the custard goes in gives a lovely salty, briney note that suits smoked salmon beautifully.
Can I make individual smoked salmon quiches?
Yes — line a 12-hole shallow bun tin with pastry rounds. Fill each with a piece of smoked salmon and spoon custard to three-quarters full. Bake at 170°C for 18 to 22 minutes.
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