WESTERN PRODUCER — The first time you make quiche it may seem like a production but as you make more and more, you realize that it is a pantry meal.
Anything you have on hand will be great. Just be sure to have eggs, cream or milk, cheese and some kind of suitable vegetable or meat. This makes for a great last minute breakfast, brunch or lunch meal during the busy holiday season. And what a way to use up some of those leftovers.
Traditional quiche uses a short crust pastry — tender and flavourful. However, any type of pastry can be used or no pastry at all for a crustless quiche. Purchased puff pastry, phyllo and even hash browns make a lovely crust for this savoury pie. Pastry made with all butter, called pate brisee, and duck fat pastry are nice upgrades.
There is a great debate whether the crust should be blind baked or simply used completely unbaked and filled. I have tried both ways and to be honest, I am happy either way.
Use a regular nine-inch (22 cm) pie pan or tart pans with removable bottoms.
Quiche can be made ahead and frozen unless it is a low-fat recipe and the mixture is thickened with flour or cornstarch. Then it cannot be successfully frozen. Bring a frozen quiche out to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Gently warm in a 325 F (160 C) oven just before serving.
Tenderflake Pastry Recipe
This is my go-to for pie pastry. It is easy to put together, easy to roll and bakes up nicely.
- 5 1/2 c. all-purposeflour 1.375 mL
- 2 tsp. salt 10 mL
- 1 lb. Tenderflake lard 500 g
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar 15 mL
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ice water
Whisk together flour and salt. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips until the lard is pea-sized within the flour.
In a one cup (250 mL) measure, combine the egg and vinegar. Add ice water to make one cup (250 mL).
Gradually stir liquid into the flour mixture with a fork, adding only enough to make the dough cling together. All the flour must be hydrated. Add a few drops more of ice water if there are dry spots. Lightly gather the dough into a ball and knead a couple of times. Divide into six equal portions.
Wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or freeze for future use.
Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is sticky chill for another half hour or so.
Transfer the prepared dough to pie plate. Trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe. Makes three nine-inch (22 cm) double crust pies or six pie shells.
Pate Brisee
For a savoury duck fat pastry use half and half butter and duck fat.
- 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 310 mL
- 1/2 tsp. sugar 2 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 6 tbsp. very cold unsalted butter, cut intosmall bits 90 mL
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. ice water 5 mL
To make the dough in a food processor, put the flour, sugar and salt in the processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse several times until it is coarsely mixed with the flour. Lightly beat the egg with the ice water and add while the blade of the food processor is running. This won’t take long. The dough won’t form a ball.
The dough can be rolled out or pressed into the pie plate by hand. I prefer to press it into the pie plate. Chill or freeze for at least an hour before baking.
The crust can be partially baked, called blind baking, at 375 F (190 C) for about 20 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden or fully baked for about 30 minutes. To prevent the dough from bubbling up or sagging, line it with parchment paper and use pie weights or dried beans for the first 10 minutes.
Basic quiche
- 1 prebaked 9 inch (23 cm) deep-dish pie shell
Filling ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 c. light cream orhalf-and-half 375 mL
Spread filling ingredients in pie shell.
Whisk eggs and cream in medium bowl. Pour mixture over filling.
Bake in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until a knife inserted near centre comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for five to 10 minutes before serving. From Egg Farmers of Alberta.
Quiche with asparagus and prosciutto
- one recipe of pate brisee pastry
- all-purpose flour,for surface
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 30 mL
- 2 green onions,thinly sliced
- 8-10 spears asparagus, stems peeled
- 3 slices prosciutto, torn in pieces
- 1/2 c. gruyere, grated 125 mL
- 3/4 c. whole milk 175 mL
- 1 c. heavy cream 250 mL
- 1 tsp. coarse salt 5 mL
- 1/4 tsp. freshly groundpepper 1 mL
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 c. finely grated parmesan cheese 125 mL
Roll pate brisee to 1/4-inch (.6 cm) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 10-inch (25 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim dough flush with rim. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line dough with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges turn golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights after the first 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 F (180 C). Melt butter in a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat until foamy. Add asparagus and cook, until fragrant, about two minutes. Add green onions, cook, stirring, for one minute. Cool to room temperature.
Place plated crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the asparagus, prosciutto, green onions and gruyere inside the crust.
Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in milk and cream. Pour mixture over the fillings in the crust. Sprinkle grated parmesan on top. Bake until puffed and gold, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chanterelle and chive quiche
- pastry for 9 inch (22 cm) tart pan or 4-4 inch(10 cm) tart pans
- 1 c. chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped if they are large 250 mL
- 2 tbsp. butter 30 mL
- 2 tbsp. chives,finely chopped 30 mL
- 1/2 c. gruyere, grated 125 mL
- salt & pepper
- 3 eggs
- 1 c. whole cream 250 mL
- 1/2 c. whole milk 125 mL
- 1/2 c. parmesan,grated 125 mL
Sauté chanterelles in butter until tender. Cool to room temperature.
Prepare the pastry in the pan. Blind bake for 15 minutes as described in recipe above.
Lightly beat eggs with cream and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Arrange the chanterelles, chives and gruyere in the pan or pans. Fill with cream and egg mixture. Top with parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) until set and top is lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes for the nine-inch (22 cm) pan and 20 minutes for the four-inch (10 cm) pans.
Crustless swiss chard, onion and feta quiche
This is a low-fat version of quiche using low fat milk and feta cheese. It is not gluten-free. Serve immediately from the oven. It does not reheat well as leftovers.
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6-oz. fresh swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
- 2 large eggs + 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 125 mL
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. salt 1 mL
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 1/3 c. non-fat milk 325 mL
- 1/2 c. feta cheese 125 mL
- 2 tbsp. parmesan, grated 30 mL
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Lightly grease a 10-inch (25 cm) pie or tart pan.
In a medium frying pan, cook diced onion with a bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray over medium-high heat until translucent and tender. Add in fresh swiss chard and cook until tender. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, then stir in chard-onion mixture.
Pour quiche base into prepared pan. Top with feta cheese. Sprinkle grated parmesan on last.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until centre is set and the outside edge is golden brown.
Let set for five minutes, then slice and serve.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and avid supporter of local food producers. She has been a market vendor, grew up on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan and is a member of TEAM Resources.
