A quiche is one of the simplest and most useful dishes you can have in your cooking repertoire.

With a few basic store cupboard ingredients you can knock up a variety of flavours to suit a number of occasions.

The basic concept remains the same: a pastry case with a creamy, eggy filling.

It’s the possibility of fillings that is almost endless.

Cheese is fairly staple among them but otherwise you can let your imagination run wild.

Here we have chosen salmon and asparagus but you could try goat’s cheese and red pepper, spinach and ricotta, ham and mushroom, crab and leek and so on.

The other beauty of quiche is its versatility.

It can be served hot or cold and works equally well as a main course with some salad and new potatoes, or cold and sliced in a school lunchbox.

• One packet of shortcrust pastry (or you can make your own)
• 3 eggs
• 200ml double cream
• 200g smoked salmon
• 200g blanched asparagus
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
• Juice and zest of one lemon

Grease and line a 20cm quiche tin with the pastry and leave to chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 1600C.

Mix all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl until they are well combined and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until set in the centre.