Sunday, March 15, 2009

Quiche For People Who Don't Like Quiche

I like quiche on a case by case basis, and not like a wino who says the same thing and yet means something very different.

The only way I'll even eat quiche is if it's short in stature. I do not dig on deep dish, so I use ½-inch tall, removable-bottom tart pans to make quiche. The portion size and ratio of crust to filling are both much more reasonable using these pans. Plus, they make the quiche easier to cook correctly.

Quiche are great for entertaining. You can make them up to a few days in advance of your event and warm them up that morning. If you don't drop at least one while chatting with guests as you remove a warm quiche from the oven you're better at multitasking than I.

I regularly make two kinds - traditional Quiche Lorraine and Spinach Feta & Caramelized Onion. The base is the same for both. With a pre-baked tart shell, you could fill it with anything you like (asparagus and Gruyere, tomatoes and basil, sauteed leeks and fontina, roasted Mediterranean vegetables), top it with the base and have a fine quiche.

First, you'll need a good pie dough. Make your pie dough a few days before your event. Pie dough likes to rest a lot, and extra time in the fridge won't hurt it.

Print pie dough recipe here.

Base for one 9-inch quiche
Whisk together:
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup milk or cream (or a combination of both)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg

Quiche Lorriane
Add to bottom of prebaked tart shell (lined with pie dough):
½ - ¾ cup crumbled, cooked bacon
½ - ¾ cup grated or diced Gruyere
Cover with base and cook at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely golden and set.

Spinach Feta and Caramelized Onion
Print recipe only here

Add to bottom of pre-baked tart shell (lined with pie dough):
3-4 ounces baby spinach, sauteed quickly in a smidge of olive oil
(Note: baby spinach seems to have less water which makes it helpful for quiche. if you use regular spinach make sure to drain it well - once sauteed, transfer to a strainer and press with a ladle.

1-2 ounces feta (1/3 cup), diced or crumbled
1 medium onion, caramelized slowly in olive oil
Cover with quiche base and cook at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely golden and set.

Seen on the food blogs:
Simply Recipes' Mushroom Quiche
101 Cookbooks' Spinach Mushroom Quiche
Smitten Kitchen's Leek and Mushroom Quiche

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