Quiche Revisited

Quiche hardly inspires rapture among diners. “All right! Quiche Night!” said no high-fiving middle schoolers ever. And while this one is pleasantly rustic enough, it’s nothing to look at. What it does have: a very good, generous crust, the tang of cheddar instead of gruyère, the richness of heavy cream, and a nice kick of cayenne pepper. It’s so simple. But the result: a mic drop of a quiche you’ll make again and again to the delight of all.

Step One: Make a 3-2-1 Crust

A 3-2-1 crust is a classic formula that refers to the ratio of flour, shortening, and liquid. As far as pie crusts go, this one errs on the buttery side, which is what makes it taste so good. The teaspoon of salt is self-explanatory. And the teaspoon of SUGAR (!) is an addition I picked up somewhere that makes an imperceptible but surprising difference. Omit the sugar sometime and you’ll see what I mean.

Ingredients

9 oz King Arthur organic all purpose flour
6 oz Kerrygold unsalted butter, very cold, cut into half inch cubes
3 oz ice cold water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl with a fork to combine evenly. Transfer to a food processor and then add the butter cubes. Pulse until the butter is integrated and the mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds total. Next, slowly pour the water through the processor tube while pulsing, using only the amount of water needed until the dough starts to hold together enough to roll out. (You may have a teaspoon or two of water left over.) Pulse the dough as little as possible for a tender crust.

Likewise taking care to handle the dough as little as possible, gather it into a disk and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to fit a standard 9” pie dish. Roll the dough in as uniformly round and even a shape as possible to minimize waste and ensure a thick crust. (But don’t be so efficient as to miss out on the glorious spoils of a less than perfect circle. Brush melted butter on the leftover scraps, sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar, and bake for about 10 minutes at 350° F.)

Place the dough in the pie dish, folding the dough under around the rim and using your knuckle to make thick crimped edges. Make sure the edge of the dough rests firmly on top of the rim, up to, but not over the rim, or pieces may fall off when baking. Line the prepared pie dish firmly with several layers of aluminum foil, reinforcing the sides in particular, to help hold the dough in position during blind baking. Next, fill the pie dish with pie weights and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until the dough is very firm, about 30 - 40 minutes in the freezer or several hours in the refrigerator.

Once the crust is chilled, bake it with foil and pie weights in a preheated 375° F oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Prick the bottom in several places with a fork and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the crust is light golden all over. Remove the crust from the oven.

Step Two: Make the Filling, Assemble, and Bake

Ingredients

5 large good eggs—the best you can get, ideally from chickens you know
¾ cup heavy cream
5 oz baby spinach
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
8 oz Whole Foods seaside cheddar, grated
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 generous dashes cayenne pepper
Optional addition: 5-6 oz cooked bacon torn into bite sized pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the heavy cream, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and whisk until the mixture is evenly combined.

Reserving ½ cup of the grated cheese, add the spinach, mushrooms, bacon (if using), and cheese to the prepared blind baked crust in alternating layers. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the fillings. Top with the reserved half cup of cheese.

Place the assembled quiche on a baking sheet to catch spills and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes cover crust with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too much and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes (50-55 minutes total), until the quiche is set and the center does not wiggle. Remove from oven.

Allow about 10 minutes to cool and serve while warm with a simple salad. Can be made ahead and warmed before serving. Leftovers are delicious at any temperature for any meal.