I realize that I posted a quiche
recipe just a little while ago, but here’s another one anyway: no excuses, no
apologies, no regrets. The basic formula is the same in its ratio of dairy and
eggs, but this one has a vegetable in it. I also took down the butterfat in the
filling by forgoing the luscious heavy cream and using low fat milk instead. It’s
still really good. And some Parmigano-Reggiano makes up for it quite well,
thank you.
While I love, love, love quiche, my
relationship with pie crust has become decidedly love-hate. I want to make good
pastry by hand, but find it time consuming, and when my crusts are lackluster
at best, it’s really disappointing. (I try not to have rage.) For this quiche,
I made my first attempt at the luxurious All Butter Pie Dough recipe in Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski. (I’m dying
to have time to explore this book and this seemed like the proper place to
start.)
This dough recipe is a labor of
love, with the butter (much, much butter!) cut into the flour by hand, and the
ice water-vinegar mixture worked in by hand. You may be able to do this with a
food processor, but I wanted to experience this whole thing at its most primal
level. About one third of the way through I was questioning my own sanity.
I used to make pie crusts this way,
and I don’t remember finding them this painfully difficult. I won’t grumble,
because I don’t want you to be discouraged by my laziness. I think everyone who
has an interest in learning things about good food should do this for
themselves. (And the engaging instructions and photos in Sister Pie are a great place to get your lessons.) In the end, the
crust was probably the best I’ve ever made!
That being said, I did learn
something important about making quiche, and blind baking crusts in general: you’re
going to need to use visual cues and develop some experience to get the crust
right. I didn’t bake mine long enough because I followed the instructions I
used with the store-bought crust (and some other homemade crusts) that encased
my quiches in the past. Ludwinski’s All Butter Pie Dough is special and needs
more time in the oven, perhaps because of all of the butter, perhaps because
the crust ends up thicker.
Ok, so quiche is much more than
crust. Spinach and feta are wonderful with eggs, and this was a fabulously
delicious example of that. I also stirred a dose of good parmesan (the Real
stuff, actually, but use what you like) into the custard mixture, and its
flavor permeates and enhances every bite. I didn’t miss the cream in the
custard, but it would still be good if you like extra-rich quiche. The lighter
mixture was perhaps a cleaner showcase for the spinach and the sharp, creamy
feta cheese.
So, in the last few weeks, I’ve
posted a rich and bacony quiche and a lighter vegetarian one. Hopefully this demonstrates
the power that quiche has to take on many forms and suit many tastes and needs.
Lots of things can be mixed in. It can be served at any meal. Once the crust is
mastered (or purchased), it really doesn’t take very long or require many
cooking tricks.
And I will continue on my pie crust Odyssey.
If you really can’t do crust, there’s always frittata. Enjoy!
Spinach
and Feta Quiche with Parmesan
Adapted
from Better Homes and Gardens
You
can use your favorite pie crust recipe here. I tried out the recipe for the All
Butter Pie Dough in the book Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski, which is similar to Pate
Brisee from classic sources like Martha
Stewart. I found that it really needed more time in the oven during the blind
baking stage, and recommend you use color and other visual cues to determine
whether your crust is properly blind baked rather than time.
1 pastry for a single-crust pie
4 eggs
1 ½ cup milk (I used 2%)
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup freshly grated or shredded Parmesan
cheese
About 4 ounces frozen spinach,
thawed and squeezed dry, about ½ cup once squeezed
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Roll out
the pastry dough into about a 12-inch circle. Drape into a 9-inch pie plate.
Crimp the edges decoratively if desired.
2. Spray one side of a sheet of
aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the foil, spray side down, on
the pastry. Place pie weights inside the foil. Bake the crust at 450 F for 8
minutes, or until the crust is just beginning to brown. Remove the foil and the
weights. Return to the oven and bake 4-10 minutes more, or until the crust is gently
browned and appears dry. The time will depend on your crust recipe, with
store-bought crusts taking less time than thicker, buttery homemade ones. When
the crust is finished blind baking, remove from the oven and reduce the oven
temperature to 325 F.
3. While the crust is baking, begin
the filling. Beat the eggs in a medium-size bowl. Beat in the milk. Stir in the
salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan.
4. Place the pie plate with the
baked crust onto a sheet pan. Spread the spinach evenly over the bottom of the
crust. Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the spinach. Pour the egg mixture over
all, being careful not to overflow the crust.
5.Place the quiche on the sheet pan
into the oven and bake at 325 F for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is just
set. A knife inserted in the center will come out without any liquid egg on it.
6. Remove from the oven and cool at
least 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 8 main-dish servings.
Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave
to serve (the crust will not remain crisp, but all will still be pretty tasty.)
Other recipes like this one: Bacon Cheddar Quiche, Chard Tart with Feta Cheese and Olives, Spinach and Feta Souffle,
Winter Squash and Kale Frittata with Feta
