Chef Renée’s savoury quiche

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

• 2 ½ cups (298 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
• 1 cup (227 g) cold, unsalted butter
• ¼ to ½ cup (57 to 113 grams) cold water
• 3 ice cubes

Custard

• 4 whole large eggs
• 500 ml 10 % cream (can substitute with milk if desired)
• Dash of fresh grated nutmeg
• Dash of salt and pepper

Filling

• 1 cup gruyere cheese (any other semi-firm cheese will work too i.e. asiago, cheddar, emmenthal)
• 2 links pork sausage, sliced and cooked
• ½ cup steamed broccoli
• ¼ cup sautéed onions and fennel
• ¼ cup sautéed mushrooms
• ½ cup cooked red new potatoes

Method:

Pie Crust – can be made a day ahead of time. Makes enough crust for two pies. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour and salt.

Measure water, add ice cubes and set aside.

Working quickly, dice the butter into small cubes. 

Place butter in a mixing bowl with flour, toss together with your hands just a few times to coat the butter in a layer of flour.

With the paddle attachment, mix at low speed. Stop mixing when the butter is well-distributed, but not fully incorporated. Butter should be in pea-sized clumps.  

With the mixer on low, begin to drizzle in the ice water. Stop adding water when the dough starts to come together. Turn off mixer and empty dough onto countertop. 

Begin pressing the dough together with your hands. If it holds together easily, without crumbling, it's ready. If it has dry spots, or pieces break off easily, add a bit more water until it holds together. 

Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Gently shape each half into a rough disk. 

Wrap dough rounds in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes. This step improves the texture and ensures that the butter stays cold when rolling. 

From the fridge allow dough to warm at room temperature for 10 minutes, to ensure it doesn’t crack when rolling. If making two crusts, be sure to remove only one round at a time from the fridge. 

On a lightly floured surface place the dough down and dust the top of the dough with flour as well.

Place a rolling pin in the middle of the dough and push outwards, turning dough 90 degrees after each roll, to ensure you keep a round shape. Crust should be ¼ inch thick.  

Place crust into pie pan or tart shell, and press dough firmly into the corners

Trim overhanging dough and crimp the edges. Place pie crust back in the fridge to chill again for 30 min.

Heat oven to 375F

Remove crust from the fridge and prick the bottom of the crust all over with fork prongs – will help it bake evenly and smooth. Cover pie crust with parchment paper and top with pie weights or dried beans. 

Place pie crust in oven, bake for 20 min., rotate once halfway through. 

Remove the parchment paper and weights/beans from the top of the pie crust and place back in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the crust looks light brown. Remove and cool. 

Filling: 

Prepare filling ingredients and set aside. (Cook and slice sausages and potatoes. Steam broccoli. Sautémushrooms and onions and fennel.)

Grate cheese.  

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, cream, nutmeg and salt and pepper, until well blended. 

To assemble and bake quiche:

Set oven to 300F

Place pre-baked pie crust on a baking tray.

Sprinkle cheese on the bottom of pie crust. Top with remaining fillings (sausage, potato, onion, mushroom, fennel, and broccoli).

Pour egg mixture into pie crust, being sure not to over fill. 

Keeping quiche on the baking tray, put it into oven and bake for 30-45 minutes rotating twice.

Quiche will be done, when contents are solid and don’t jiggle when moved. If solid, remove and cool. If not set, bake for another 10 minutes or until cooked through.

To Serve:

Serve warm or cold, with a simple green salad. Reheats well. 

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