#74: Asparagus & Scallion Quiche
Welcome to Cooking Stuff. Did you hear the news? I’m hosting a four-part dinner series this summer called BACKYARD! These dinners are open to anyone in the LA area and tickets can be purchased on my website. My first one is June 17th and there are still seats available for you and a friend to join!
First, I would like to apologize that this quiche recipe does not have a hash brown crust. The truth about the hash brown crust recipe is that it is finicky as hell and I still haven’t fully mastered it. I will eventually get it done and send it to you, I promise. In the meantime, today’s recipe has an incredibly fast and simple crust which is a great thing for us all.
I make a “normal” quiche crust one of two ways. Pie dough in a pie pan or tart crust pressed into a tart pan. Nine times out of ten I will pick the tart method because it is easier and I wondered if I could apply that technique in a pie pan. The answer is yes, of course, and it actually works quite well.
This quick crust comes together in a food processor and is pressed into a pie pan, chilled, par-baked with beans (or pie weights), and then filled. These few steps are completely painless and really a breeze.
You don’t need to be too precise when you press the dough into the pan but spend a minute trying to get things even. My pie pan is extra deep and my crust comes up the sides but not over the edge. I like to get the sides pressed and even then press in the bottom. When it looks almost done I take a one-cup measuring cup and press it along the sides, bottom, and in the crease. This helps everything become smooth and really pressed in. I leave the top edge kind of organic and don’t bother getting it “perfect.”
Asparagus and scallions are in season and that’s what the bulk of this quiche is made of! They both get sliced into small rounds and lightly sautéed to draw out some moisture before going into our crust. Have you ever had a wet spot in your quiche? This will help prevent that. I’m calling for feta cheese in the filling but you can swap it with almost any cheese you choose but keep the parmesan if you can. Nothing has a flavor quite like freshly grated parmesan and that’s what gives the quiche its golden brown top.
Lastly, the custard–three eggs and one cup of half and half. The higher the fat content, the creamier it will be. I think half and half is the sweet spot for quiche. If you have heavy cream I support you living a little and using that instead. Whole milk will also work but my vote is to stick with half and half.
I always looked at quiche as a fancy brunch item, and they are, but they are really quite simple. In recent years I have made more quiche than ever and that’s because they are great meal prep for the week. When I make one on the weekend, I slice the leftovers and we eat them on the go all week. Who wants a boring egg cup when you can have quiche?! I hope you try this recipe, report back if you do!