I am sharing a fool-proof recipe that I have perfected over years. Mushroom and Spinach Quiche – Quiche Lorraine as it is called in French, is one of my favorite savory dishes to serve at any meal be it breakfast, brunch or dinner. It is versatile in terms of its filling as well as serving.
Recipe at a glance
For the Crust
Butter – Cold, unsalted butter
Flour – All purpose flour
Salt – for savory short crust
Egg – 1 large Egg, if egg is smaller, you might need a couple of tablespoon of water to bind the dough
For the Filling
Steamed /sauteed vegetables – my personal favorite combination is spinach and mushrooms with little bit of red onion however you can use capsicums/bell pepper, grilled eggplant/aubergine, partially boiled potato cubes
Protein – roatasserie chicken, shredded boiled chicken cubes, leftover minced meat etc.
For the Custard
Cream – Full fat cream (ideally 35% fat) unsweetened
Milk – full fat milk
Eggs – medium or large eggs
Cheese – a good cheddar cheese or similar with mild flavor, grated or slices
Seasonings – Dry, herbs in any combination you prefer, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, oregano, basil, rosemary
Step by Step Process
For the Curst
Step 1 – Make the crust by rubbing in the chilled butter into flour and salt mixture until it resembles the bread crumbs.
Step 2– Make a well in the center and add in egg (preferably lightly beaten), mix with hands gently to form a dough. Add a couple of tablespoons of chilled water if the mixture seems dry.
Do not knead.
Step 3 – Put together the dough into a small, fat disc and roll out between two baking/wax paper or plastic wraps. Make sure it is a little larger than the dish you intend to bake in. For this quantity 10 inches pie dish which is 1 inch deep is ideal. Remove the top paper, invert the rolled out dough on the pie dish and peel off the other paper.
Step 4– Dock the crust gently into the pie dish and trim the edges with a knife. Freeze while you prepare custard and filling.
For the Filling
Step 1 – Saute chopped onion and garlic in little olive oil, add in the rest of the vegetables and season, cook until moisture has evaporated.
For the Custard
Step 1 – Whisk milk, cream, eggs and seasonings well.
Assembling
Step 1 – Take out the frozen crust, place the cooled vegetable filling and/or meat if using. Top with cheese of your choice.
Step 2 – Pour in the prepared custard.
FAQs
Can you use milk instead of whipping cream for Quiche?
You can but the filling will be on runnier side than stable and custard like. I don’t recommend.
Do you cook vegetables before putting in quiche?
It is important to saute the vegetables to evaporate moisture otherwise it will make the crust soggy.
Do you bake crust of the quiche first aka blind baking?
Most of the recipes will tell you to blind bake the crust however, in this recipe, the base is frozen while we prepare the custard and filling . Once ready, immediately fill and bake in the preheated oven.
This is not only saving one step of blind baking but make the process quicker without base shrinking.
What type of pan or dish is perfect for making Quiche?
Quiche can be made in a glass dish if you want to serve it in the same which is what I prefer.
You can also use aluminum pan with removable base to take out the quiche and serve it on another platter.
Serving Suggestions
This is a complete meal in iteself but a fresh garden salad with very light lemon vingerette dressing will compliment it beautifully.
It tastes great cold and warm making it perfect for make ahead meals and lunch boxes.
Substitutions and Variations
Though the crust is pretty unchangeable, filling can be different kind of vegetables. You can also try substituting 1/2 of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
Storage and Make Ahead
You can make the crust up to a week ahead and freeze it well wrapped.
Filling and Custard can be made up to 2 days advance and can be refrigerated covered.
Related Recipes
You may also like savory Lasagna which is also a great staple for brunches and this amazing Zaatar Star bread!
Spinach Mushroom Quiche
I am sharing a fool-proof recipe that I have perfected over years. Mushroom and Spinach Quiche - Quiche Lorraine as it is called in French, is one of my favorite savory dishes to serve at any meal be it breakfast, brunch or dinner. It is versatile in terms of its filling as well as serving.
Ingredients
For the Base
- 200 grams/ 1 ⅔ cups All-purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 100 grams/ 7 tablespoons Butter
- 1 Egg
- 2-3 tablespoons Water
For the Filling
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ⅓ cup Onions, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Spinach, Mushrooms OR Chicken, Capsicums Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
For the Custard
- 3 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Milk
- 1 ½ cups Heavy/ Whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Red chilies, crushed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings like oregano, rosemary, basil, optional
Instructions
For the Base
- Rub butter and flour + salt with fingertips.
- Make a well in the center and add beaten egg,
- Make a dough, do not knead; it should just come together. Use chilled water, if required.
- Roll out between 2 plastic sheets and check the size of the 10 inches pie dish.
- Carefully remove one sheet and place it on the pan.
- Dock it and freeze.
- Make the filling and custard.
- Place the filling on the frozen crust.
- Add custard and cheddar cheese.
- Bake in a pre-heated over for 35-45 minutes at 350 F.
For the Filling
- In a pan add olive oil, onions and garlic; saute for 2 minutes.
- Add your choice of filling and season it. Cook until 80% done and water is dried.
For the Custard
- Beat eggs, milk and cream really well using a whisk.
- Add all the seasonings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 177mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
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