A good quiche is one of my all time favorite dishes. I frequently order it when I see it being offered on a restaurant or bakery menu and am often underwhelmed, always wanting more flavor. This quiche is nothing like that. It’s deeply flavorful, creamy, flaky, light, and just down right perfection. The addition of cream fraiché as part of the liquid is such a game changer in quiche fillings that I’ve incorporated it in nearly all my variations.
If I have time during the week, I’ll prepare some dough and roll it out in a tart pan, freezing it until I’m ready to make my quiche. I never regret taking a few extra minutes to do this – it makes a lazy weekend brunch so satisfying and easy to pull together. I’ve also pulled a pretty smart parenting move and taught my teenage son how to make pie and pastry dough. He’s almost always willing to take care of this kitchen task and wrap it for the freezer. He makes a few bucks for the chore and we all get treated to a delicious quiche as a result. Everyone wins.
Cheers,
Christina
Quiche with Bacon, Baby Kale and Gruyere
Quiche is a perfect make ahead breakfast or brunch dish. It is equally delicious for lunch or a classy dinner main with a salad and glass of wine. This dish is adapted from Huckleberry, one of my favorite cookbooks, as well as inspired by some tried and true ingredients such as flour and creme fraiché from the famed Tartine cookbook. I hope you love my favorite version.
Ingredients
Quiche filling
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup crème fraîche
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- a few dashes of hot sauce
- ¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese divided
- 1 cup baby kale or spinach, lightly packed cup, coarsely chopped
- 6 slices bacon, cooked, coarsely chopped
Flaky Tart Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup butter, cubed, placed in freezer for 10 minutes Kerrygold butter is my favorite for this
- 5 tbsp ice cold water
Instructions
Preparing the tart dough
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Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to food processor, pulse to combine.
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Scatter semi-frozen butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse a few times until you see pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
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Add ice cold water through top funnel while briefly pulsing, until water is incorporated. Don't over process.
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Dump mixture on a lightly floured board and gather dough together, kneading and gathering until no dry pieces are are left. Form into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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Grease a tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll chilled dough out on a lightly floured board and gently lay into a tart pan. Allow the dough to get into the sides and trim excess dough with a rolling pin lightly pressing the edge of the pan. Dough can also be placed into a pie pan with edges folded under and pinched. Place tart pan on a baking sheet.
If time allows, freeze prepared tart shell for 1 hour. Otherwise, place in the freezer or refrigerator while the oven preheats.
Baking the crust
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Preheat oven to 350°. Line the tart shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake about 20 minutes, till edges begin to lightly brown, then remove parchment and beans or weights and continue baking until crust is deeply browned, about 20 minutes longer.
Quiche filling
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In a medium bowl add first 8 ingredients and whisk until free of lumps. Fold in ½ cup cheese.
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Scatter chopped greens and cooked bacon over the cooked tart shell. Fill tart shell with egg mixture as full as you can without overflowing. Carefully top with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake until middle is set and cheese is golden, about 25 minutes.
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Remove outer rim of the tart pan by placing quiche on a large can (28 ounce can of tomatoes, for example) and the rim will drop to the counter. Transfer the tart to a cutting board or serving plate and carefully slice the quiche. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Any extra filling can be baked in a greased ramekin for a delicious crustless quiche.