There is something about quiche that makes me coming back to it. I think it is the custardy texture, and the umami that leaps out of a good slice of quiche. There are downsides, the main one being that a quiche can be really fatty and salty. One can make making and baking the crust infinitely complicated. All recipes assume a standard pie dish, or a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet, presumably making sure than an army can be well fed. Even though quiche does make great leftovers, making a smaller and lighter quiche has been something I have been after for a while.
The breakthrough was realizing that my 8 inch cast iron skillets have been collecting dust instead of being used as a fine baking dish. It is exactly the size that I have been looking for - the picture below shows what was left over after Jasna and I each had a slice.
Let me record the recipe here, so that I don't need to invent the wheel over and over again.
Ingredients for the crust
- 1 cup flour: I used 1/2 cup rye and 1/2 cup millet flour
- Optional but very useful: 1 TBS psyllium husk mixed in 4 TBS of water
- The husk adds elasticity to the dough and helps it hold together.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1/4 cup oil: I tend to use olive oil
Ingredients for the custard:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk: I used 1/4 cup soy milk and 1/2 cup whole milk
- parsley: a handful, chopped finely
- cheese, 1/2 cup or so: I used shredded parmesan, chèvre, and a touch of mystery aged cheese
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- If using psyllium husk, mix the husk with 4TBS water and let it stand for 2 minutes or so.
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the crust. Knead the soft dough to mix everything well.
- Grease the skillet with butter. Oil does not stick to the sides all that well, hence I prefer using butter.
- With your fingers, press the dough into evenly thick layer against the bottom and the sides of the skillet. Make sure the dough is not thicker around the inner edge of the skillet - where the sides and the bottom come together.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Note: With this dough I have never needed to weigh it or to pierce it with a fork.
- Keep the oven going after the crust is prebaked, and take the skillet out. Remember to use oven mitts.
- In a bowl, maybe the same one that you used for the crust, whisk the eggs, and then whisk in the milk and parsley.
- Pour the mixture into the skillet.
- Add the cheese. I used a spoon and my hands to break off small pieces of chevre, I sprinkled some parmesan, and dotted the quiche with some aged cheese for extra flavor.
- Stir the cheese and the milk mixture just a bit.
- Bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes, until the custard has firmed up and got some color. It may puff up a bit, but will deflate as the air bubbles cool down.
- Cool the quiche just a bit and use a spatula or a fish turner to take the quiche out of the skillet easily.
