Monday, April 7, 2014

Mini Spinach, Onion and Prosciutto Quiche

I love quiche. It is so versatile and delicious. Flaky, buttery crust filled with endless options. Veggies, meats, cheeses, herbs, or spices in any combination. You can really let your imagination go wild. I randomly had some leftover prosciutto and gruyere and decided that some mini quiche would be the perfect place to use it up. Along with a little diced onion an some spinach, it really was a wonderful combination. 

I just thought it would be fun to make some mini quiche, but this would be equally as good as a regular size quiche. Whatever you do, I highly recommend making your own pie dough. It really is so much better than anything you can get at the store. 





Spinach, Onion and Prosciutto Quiche
Ingredients

  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and very well dried
  • A couple slices of prosciutto
  • 2 ounces Gruyere (or your favorite cheese)

Directions
In a small sauté pan with a little olive oil in it, cook the onion for a few minutes until it begins to soften and become translucent. Set aside. Mix together the eggs and milk, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Evenly divide the prosciutto, spinach, onions and cheese between the prepared tarts. Pour the custard into the individual tarts, being careful not to overfill. Bake the mini quiches for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the custard is just set. 

Pate Brisee
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender or two fork.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together with out being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still to crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

When ready to use, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Press gently into tart pans, making sure not to stretch the dough. Place pans in the freezer to chill for at least 15 minutes.

Remove tarts from freezer, and blind bake for 15-20 min at 375 degrees. Remove weights and bake about 5 minutes longer, until crust is lightly browned. 

4 comments:

  1. Hi, I am visiting your blog while searching for tart/quiche crust. I can see that you have used olive oil crust in some quiche recipes previously so became curious of the difference between butter crust and oil crust. I think butter crust is of course flakier but oil crust seems to hold wet fillings better without getting soggy. I am trying to find quiche crust recipe that will not get soggy even after a day or so of making. Can you please explain the difference and your preference between the two to me? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Amy! Thanks for the question. I do use both oil crusts and butter crusts. Which I prefer depends on what I am making and how I want the finished product to turn out. Yes, a butter crust will be flaky and also very tender and more delicate. I like to use butter crusts when I'm feeling a bit more decadent and when I want the crust to be light and airy. As for an oil crust, it will be more dense and chewy, not light and flaky like a butter crust. I like to use an olive oil crust if I'm feeling like something a little healthier and rustic. It is definitely a different texture but has its own uses.

      As for a quiche crust that won't get soggy, I think either can work. You just want to be sure to cook whichever crust you use completely. It is so easy to under-bake a crust. If the top is getting too dark you can cover it with aluminum foil while the bottom finishes cooking. I also like to use a glass pie plate because it cooks evenly and heats up well. And there is the added benefit of being able to look at the crust while it's baking. Another idea is to preheat a baking stone for a good 30-45 minutes and then bake the pie/quiche directly on the stone which will conduct a lot of heat into the crust and keep it crisper. This should help with the soggy crust issue. As a quiche sits in the fridge a few days, I would expect it to get somewhat softer because there is moisture in the custard filling above it, but I think this should help!

      Let me know if you have any more questions, I hoped this helps!

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    2. Thank you so much for the quick and thorough reply! I think I will blind bake a bit longer until bottom doesn't look wet since I don't have a baking stone. I did try blind baking before but am thinking I might have underbaked it because the bottom didn't seem to be fully-baked. I am new to quiche/tart/pie making so I think it is more of my lack of technique than butter or oil matter. :) Thank you again!

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    3. You're welcome! And yes, how could I forget the blind baking, that is definitely the way to go. Just make sure it is fully baked before you pull it out. Good luck on your new endeavor! Keep practicing and I'm sure you'll be a pro in no time! :)

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