wild salmon & asparagus & filo quiche

• prepare the pre-roasted salmon by breaking down into smaller pieces or flakes and set aside
• *note : you can also use an equivalent weight in prepared canned salmon, and simply add ½ tsp crushed garlic, 1 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper …
• measure your asparagus spears so that they fit into your loaf-shaped baking dish and cut them down to size, a bit shorter than the baking tin, discard the tougher pale ends and slice the extra tender green parts into thinner slices
• boil 1 ½ liters (6 cups water and/or vegetable stock) with 1 tbsp salt and 2 tbsp lemon juice and when boiling, add the trimmed asparagus spears and all the little extra slices and boil for 4-5 minutes maximum, then remove and drop them all in ice water for 5 minutes, then remove and pat dry
• preheat oven to 210°C
• brush the asparagus spears and extra little green slices with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper, then transfer to a baking sheet covered with baking paper and broil on the middle rack for 5 minutes, then remove them and let them cool down (reserve some little asparagus slices for the top of the quiche, to be added later)
• prepare the filo shell by laying down one sheet of filo and brush on both sides with the melted butter mixed with olive oil on each side and decoratively lay the parsley leaves, dill fronds and chives on top and then place another sheet of brushed filo on top (to sandwich the leaves in between because this will be the outer sheet, then lay these 2 sandwiched sheets inside your baking tin and trim the excess filo sheets that extends beyond the rim
• then lay another 6-7 sheets of filo, that were individually brushed with the melted butter and olive oil mixture, one by one inside your baking loaf tin and press into shape, then cut off the excess on top and slice the extra filo into smaller pieces and set them aside (it will be added to the filling later)
• prepare the filling by mixing together the filling ingredients such as the beaten eggs, crème fraîche, salt, pepper, sliced preserved lemon, fresh herbs (but reserve some herbs for the top later) and whisk until smooth (do not add the grated cheeses yet)

assembly : 

• preheat the oven to 190°C
• place one third of the salmon flakes, asparagus spears and sliced asparagus on the bottom and pour one third of the creamy filling on top, add some of the excess filo too, then repeat 2 more times until everything is used up and brush the cut filo edges on top with some melted butter and olive oil (so they don’t burn too quickly)
• bake the quiche for 30-35 minutes and after the initial 30-35 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle the top with the grated cheeses and some remaining herbs and sliced asparagus (if you have extra) and keep baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, until puffy and golden
• *note : it is better to add the grated cheeses after an initial baking period, because if added at the beginning, they create a barrier when melted and do not let the quiche filling underneath cook correctly because it’s a quite high quiche inside loaf tin, as opposed to a flatter & wider pie dish …
• remove from the oven, let cool down for at least 10-15 minutes before removing and slicing and serve with a green salad.