Coronation Quiche

The official dish of the coronation of King Charles III

By
Lauryn Bodden
headshot for associate food editor Lauryn Bodden
Lauryn Bodden
Lauryn is Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, creating recipes and cooking guides for all palates and expertise.
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Published on 05/5/23
Tested by Joan Velush
Coronation Quiche

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Chilling Time: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 9-inch quiche
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
512 Calories
36g Fat
36g Carbs
13g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 512
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g 46%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 149mg 50%
Sodium 432mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 5mg 27%
Calcium 232mg 18%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 300mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Quiche is simply the best party dish. She’s not fussy. She always brings elegance with a side of drama. But, you’re not here because you need convincing. You’re here because Coronation Day is upon us and Buckingham Palace just released a coronation quiche recipe in honor of King Charles III’s big day. This is 70 years after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation chicken, which quickly became a national classic—not surprising that everyone lost it for the creamy curry chicken dish. The same cannot be said for The King’s quiche. That’s where we come in.

What Is Coronation Quiche?

Specialty recipes are a common British tradition for royal events or really most holidays. In celebration of King Charles III’s coronation, Coronation Big Lunches are held throughout the bank holiday weekend of May 6-8, 2023, to bring together communities over the joyous moment. And it’s not just the royals hosting—as I write this recipe there are more than 7,000 registered coronation-related events across the UK . 

King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with royal chef Mark Flanagan, chose a quiche recipe for the occasion  because of its shareability, ease of serving hot or cold, adaptability for the seasons and preferences, accessibility for many dietary restrictions, and its budget-friendliness. That and King Charles III is just a really big egg guy. I’m with you.

How Do You Make Coronation Quiche?

Quiche can be daunting, but anyone can make it—even the crust! To start, we make a flaky crust using both butter and lard. We’re making a royal quiche here, so might as well opt for the European butter with lower water content, aka more flavor. Once this is rolled out and transferred to the quiche tin, we parbake the crust to ensure no soggy bottoms around (I’m looking at you “Great British Baking Show” fanatics).

What Ingredients Are in Coronation Quiche?

The filling comes together in less than 10 minutes. It includes spinach, broad beans (known as fava beans in the U.S.), tarragon, and cheese baked in a custard of eggs, milk, and heavy cream. Fava beans can be very hard to find, especially out of season. Look for canned or frozen, but sweet peas, green beans, or asparagus are great substitutes. 

To round out the richness of this dish, I added a subtle hint of lemon zest along with charred leeks, which add a mild sweetness. I use a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and gruyere cheese, which are good melting cheeses and have strong, nutty profiles that marry well with the decadence of the dish.

How Do You Know When Quiche Is Done?

The quiche is completely baked when the edges of the filling near the crust are set, but the very center still jiggles slightly. You can also test for doneness with an instant read thermometer—it should register between 160 F and 165 F. The quiche will continue to cook via carryover cooking as it cools, so let it rest for at least 10 minutes to allow everything to fully set.

How To Serve Coronation Quiche

This recipe is extremely customizable if you want to swap in different veggies, cheeses, or crusts. Serve Coronation Quiche with a lightly dressed arugula (or rocket for my European friends) salad, fruit, breakfast meats, a mimosa, or a nice afternoon tea.

Tips for Making Coronation Quiche

  • Avoid a soggy bottom — The best quiches have a crisp, sturdy crust that only comes from blind baking.
  • Get the flakiest crust — In order to achieve a perfect flaky pie crust, make sure to use very cold butter.
  • Don't overmix your crust — Leave some chunks of butter when mixing the dough together.
  • Cheese choices — Soft cheeses are best for this as you want them to gently melt with the eggs without leaving stringy pieces behind like harder cheeses can do. 
  • Testing for doneness — Quiche should be baked just until the outside edge is firm and set, but the center still jiggles slightly. If you are unsure, you can insert an instant read thermometer in the center—the eggs are cooked and the quiche is set between 160 to 165 F. 
  • How to use frozen spinach — If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave per the directions. Place the spinach in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. 
  • Dry your veggies well — Draining and drying vegetables that typically contain high water content is necessary because if too much liquid is added to the quiche, then it will turn out soggy in the end.

“The Coronation Quiche is a light, fresh version of vegetable quiche, packed with sauteed leeks, fresh favas, chopped spinach, and tarragon. The crust is very simple to put together and behaves beautifully. Even first-time pastry makers should have no trouble with this dough. Overall this is a delicious recipe to commemorate King Charles’ big day.” —Joan Velush

Coronation Quiche/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, more as needed

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cubed

  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cold lard (or additional butter)

  • 1/4 cup cold milk, more as needed

For the Filling

  • 1 cup (160 grams) cooked spinach, moisture squeezed out and roughly chopped

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 leeks, trimmed, rinsed, and thinly sliced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon, more for garnish

  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded gruyere cheese

  • 1/2 cup cooked peeled broad beans (fava beans) or sweet peas

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Crust

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make crust for a Coronation Quiche

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Drop the butter and lard into the middle, so that it’s lightly coated in flour.

    A bowl of flour and salt, with cubes of butter

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Use your fingers, a fork, or a pastry cutter to gently work the butter into the flour, flattening the cubes between your fingers or tools, until the butter is about pea-sized. The mixture should resemble cornmeal or breadcrumbs. Alternatively, use a food processor and pulse a few times until the desired texture is achieved.

    A bowl of coarse flour, salt, and butter mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the milk and knead until the dough just comes together. If the dough seems dry, add 1/2 teaspoon of milk at a time until it comes together.

    A bowl with a round piece of pie dough

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Turn the dough onto a clean, floured work surface. Pat into a disk shape about 1/2-inch thick, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

    A small round disc of dough on a floured surface

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. On a lightly floured work surface roll the dough into a circle about 11-inches in diameter.

    A large, flat round piece of dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate. Fold any excess dough over on itself and crimp the edge as desired. Chill the dough in the plate for at least 30 minutes.

    While the dough chills, position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 F.

    A crimped-edge dough pie crust in a pie plate

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. To parbake the crust, place a sheet of parchment paper inside the unbaked crust and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake the crust until the edges are just starting to brown, about 15 minutes.

    A pie crust in a pie plate lined with parchment paper and black beans

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Remove the beans or weights, then prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and bake until the bottom is light golden, about 8 minutes more.

    A par-baked pie crust with fork marks

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prepare the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make the filling of a coronation quiche

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. If using frozen spinach and it is not already thawed, heat in the microwave according to package instructions. Drain the spinach in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible; set aside.

    A strainer with rinsed spinach

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet on medium heat until it shimmers. Add the leeks and cook until they begin to soften and brown lightly, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

    A large skillet with leeks and garlic

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the leek mixture and tarragon.

    A bowl of whisked eggs, milk, heavy cream, lemon zest, salt, and pepper

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl.

    A small bowl of shredded cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. To assemble, set the crust on a baking sheet, then sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese across the bottom. Scatter the spinach over the top followed by the fava beans or peas.

    A par-baked pie crust layered with cheese, spinach, and fava beans

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Pour the leek mixture into the crust, then top with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

    Leek mixture and cheese added to the top of the fava beans-spinach layer

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Bake the quiche until the filling and crust are golden, and the center is set but still slightly jiggles, about 30 minutes.

    A baked coronation quiche on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Let the quiche rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh tarragon.

    A coronation quiche garnished with tarragon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

How To Store, Freeze, or Make Ahead

  • The cooled quiche can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 F oven or microwave, if serving warm.
  • Make the crust up to 5 days ahead of time.
  • The filling can be mixed and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.
  • Cook any mix-ins ahead of time, then add right before the filling when ready to bake.
  • Freeze the whole quiche unbaked or baked for up to 3 months.

Recipe Variations

  • Vegetarian — To make this completely vegetarian, omit the lard and use all butter in the crust.
  • Added Protein — Looking for more protein or to make this even heartier? Add diced cooked ham, shredded chicken, crumbled bacon, ground sausage, or a plant-based alternative.
  • Veggie Swaps — Try other mix-ins like mushrooms, squash, potato, tomatoes, broccoli, and more.
  • Crust — You can swap out the crust for a gluten-free version or any other crust recipe you like, including a store-bought pastry crust.
  • Herbs — Use alternative herbs or a combination like rosemary, thyme, and oregano.