Anna Louise Asparagus quiche is the quiche to make during the six weeks of British asparagus season — May and early June — when asparagus is sweet, vivid, and genuinely wonderful.
The asparagus spears are arranged over the custard before baking, their tips pointing outward from the centre in a pattern that looks completely beautiful when the quiche is sliced and served. It is a quiche that announces itself visually before anyone has tasted it.
The filling combines the asparagus with Gruyère — nutty, slightly sharp, melting beautifully into the custard — and a little lemon zest that brightens the rich egg and cream base and makes the asparagus flavour more vivid.
The pastry case must be completely blind-baked before the filling goes in — the asparagus releases moisture during baking and the pastry needs to be genuinely dry and golden before any liquid touches it.
This is the quiche for a spring lunch, a garden party, or any occasion where something both beautiful and seasonal is wanted.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Asparagus 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 Asparagus and Gruyère Filling
- 400g fresh British asparagus — tough ends snapped off
- 3 large eggs
- 250ml double cream
- 100ml whole milk
- 125g Gruyère, finely grated
- Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
How to Make Mary Berry Asparagus 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, 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 for 20 minutes.
Line with parchment and baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and parchment — bake a further 8 to 10 minutes until pale golden and completely dry. Trim edges. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
Step 3 — Blanch the Asparagus
Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus and blanch for two minutes — just until vivid green and slightly tender but still with a definite bite. Drain immediately and plunge into iced water to stop the cooking and fix the colour. Drain and pat dry.
Cut the tips off at approximately 8cm — set aside for the top decoration. Slice the remaining stalks into 3cm lengths — these go into the custard base.
Step 4 — Make the Custard
Whisk the eggs, double cream, and milk together until smooth. Add three-quarters of the grated Gruyère, the lemon zest, thyme leaves, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Whisk briefly to combine.
Step 5 — Assemble
Scatter the sliced asparagus stalk pieces evenly over the base of the blind-baked pastry case. Pour the Gruyère custard carefully over — fill to within 1cm of the top of the pastry.
Arrange the reserved asparagus tips over the surface of the custard in a spoke pattern — tips pointing outward from the centre, placed evenly around the surface. Press them very gently into the custard so they are half-submerged. Scatter the remaining Gruyère between the asparagus tips.
Step 6 — Bake
Place on a baking tray. Bake at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes until the custard is just set with a very slight central wobble, the Gruyère is golden, and the asparagus tips are slightly golden at their edges.
Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
My Top Tips For Perfect Asparagus Quiche
Blanch the asparagus before baking — do not add raw. Raw asparagus in a quiche filling releases too much moisture into the custard during baking, making it watery and potentially preventing it from setting cleanly. Two minutes of blanching followed by immediate cooling in iced water gives asparagus that is vivid, slightly tender, and will not release excessive liquid into the custard.
Arrange the asparagus tips in a spoke pattern for maximum visual impact. The arrangement of the tips radiating from the centre is what makes this quiche visually distinctive. Take a moment — it takes sixty seconds and the result looks genuinely professional.
Use Gruyère — not Cheddar for this quiche. Gruyère’s nutty, slightly complex flavour suits asparagus more elegantly than the sharper, more assertive Cheddar. It also melts more smoothly into the custard.
Lemon zest is essential. The zest brightens the asparagus flavour and gives the rich Gruyère custard the freshness it needs. Without it the quiche tastes slightly flat. With it, it tastes vivid and spring-like.
British asparagus in season only. Out-of-season asparagus gives a passable but distinctly less good quiche. This is a seasonal recipe — make it in May and June and do not attempt it in November.
Serving Suggestions
At room temperature for a spring lunch — with a simple green salad and good bread. As a dinner party starter in small slices. At a garden party as part of a buffet spread. Cold the next day — asparagus quiche is very good cold.
How to Store
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 2 days. The asparagus retains its colour and flavour well. Serve cold or warmed at 160°C for ten minutes.
Freezing is not recommended — asparagus loses its colour and texture when frozen and defrosted.
Try These Recipes
- Mary Berry Salmon Mousse
- Mary Berry Leek And Stilton Quiche
- Mary Berry Chicken And Herb Casserole
- Mary Berry Paprika Chicken Thighs
Mary Berry Asparagus 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 completely dry. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
- Blanch asparagus in well-salted boiling water 2 minutes — vivid green and slightly tender. Drain — plunge into iced water immediately. Drain and pat dry. Cut tips at 8cm — set aside. Slice remaining stalks into 3cm lengths.
- Whisk eggs, cream, and milk. Add three-quarters of the Gruyère, lemon zest, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.
- Scatter asparagus stalk pieces over pastry base. Pour custard over — to within 1cm of top. Arrange asparagus tips in a spoke pattern — tips pointing outward, gently pressed into custard. Scatter remaining Gruyère between tips.
- Place on baking tray. Bake 30–35 minutes until just set with slight central wobble. Cool in tin 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add smoked salmon to this quiche?
Yes — 100g of smoked salmon torn into pieces and scattered over the blanched asparagus stalks before the custard goes in gives a wonderful combination. See the smoked salmon quiche recipe on this site for guidance on the custard adjustment needed.
Can I use Parmesan instead of Gruyère?
Yes — Parmesan gives a sharper, more intensely savoury result. Use 100g rather than 125g as Parmesan is more concentrated in flavour.
Can I make this without blind baking?
No — the asparagus releases moisture during baking and the pastry must be completely pre-cooked to prevent sogginess. Blind baking is not optional for this quiche.
Can I use frozen asparagus?
No — for this recipe specifically, fresh British asparagus is essential. Frozen asparagus gives a soggy, discoloured result that does not do justice to the filling or the presentation.
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