A Simple Spring Quiche
French cuisine and quiche. One of my favorite classic dishes from the French repertoire of cuisine is this seemingly difficult, but actually quite facile dinner item. With all ingredients available in one-dish, the clean-up is simple and with the combination of the flaky, buttery crust, it almost tastes like a guilty pleasure. Mais non! It is absolutely a delicious, well-balanced option for dinner, especially in the spring when fresh vegetables are again becoming available.
In The Wall Street Journal’s “Off Duty” section each weekend, the current resident chef shares a recipe for the season. And so it was back in March, I found myself quickly ripped out and saving chef Edouardo Jordan of Salare restaurant in Seattle’s Spring Quiche recipe. Many more of his recipes have caught my eye which indicates I know for certain where I will be dining the next time I head north.
Needless to say, the recipe did not disappoint, and with the simple preparation and fresh ingredients, a delicious meal was savored, and then lunch for a few more days to come.
Pair with a fresh green salad tossed with a favorite homemade vinaigrette (my favorite is below), a few slices of toasted baguette, a glass of crisp white wine, and what could possibly be a better way to nourish yourself at the end of a busy day?
A Simple Spring Quiche
Simple, quick and full of spring flavor.
Servings6 slices
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Passive Time5 minutes
Ingredients
Filling
3tablespoons
olive oilextra virgin
1 cup
mushroomsMorel (ideally), but any spring mushrooms, slice into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup
yellow onionssliced
1/2cup
asparaguschopped
3/4cup
sharp cheddarshredded
1/3cup
cream
1/3cup
whole milk
3
eggs
salt
ground black pepperfreshly
Pie Crust
1/2cup
unsalted butterchilled
1cup
unbleached flourchilled if possible (leave in the refrigerator for 30 minutes)
1/4teaspoon
salt
3-4tablespoons
water very cold
Classic Vinaigrette
3tablespoons
olive oilquality extra virgin
1tablespoon
balsamic vinegartop quality, my favorites are always thicker
1/2teaspoon
Dijon mustardMaille is my go-t0
ground black pepperfreshly
Instructions
Filling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook browned and all liquid has been released, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and stir in onions and asparagus, until the asparagus is bright green (about 3 minutes). Season to taste with salt.
Onto a baked pie crust (see recipe below or use a pre-baked pie crust), spring half of the cheese across the bottom.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs and a generous pinch of both salt and pepper. Pour sautéed vegetables over the cheese and top with the egg mixture and remaining cheese.
Bake the quiche until the base sets and edges are slightly brown, approximately 20 minutes depending upon your oven. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Pie Crust
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the flour, butter (cut into small cubes or pieces), and salt into a food processor. Pulse until mixture is combined. You may also combine ingredients in a bowl until fine crumb-like pieces form with a fork or dough cutter.
Trickle in the (ice) water until is combined, but not too compacted. Collect it into a ball and pat into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to roll.
Roll the dough out and place in a pie pan. Finish the edges as desired (I use my thumb and index finger of my less dominate hand and pinch my right index finger in between the two for the edge you see in my pictures). Poke the bottom of the crust to prevent air bubbles.
Place parchment paper in the bottom and sides of the dough in the pie pan. Place pie weights or beans on top of the parchment to hold the pie dough's shape.
Bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry dried out and is just slightly light brown. Remove the weights and the parchment, and bake for 10-20 minutes until the shell is the beautiful brown you desire. Cool for 10-20 minutes.
Classic Vinaigrette
Add all four ingredients into a small dish or the bottom of the dish in which you will be serving the salad. Whisk together with a fork. Place salad greens on top and toss to coat evenly.
