Everything is better with a flaky crust, so instead of making a fritatta for dinner I decided to make quiche. I just popped some pie crust I had made weeks ago out of the freezer to defrost and was feeling smug about how easy this would be thanks to my thinking ahead. It was a dreary afternoon outside, so I set up my little helper with play dough, plastic knives and a rolling pin and we got to work.
Everything went beautifully. My pie dough rolled out without cracking and breaking and I made a really pretty wavy border around the edge. I put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to let it chill and relax, and then slid it into a hot oven. The recipe calls for a partially baked crust, so I checked on it about 5 minutes later.
Disaster. What happened to that beautiful crust? It shrunk at least 25% and puffed up like a balloon in the middle, and the pretty border crumpled and fell in. I was distraught. I can't use this! What am I going to do now?
This is what happens when you don't use your head, when you get cocky about your baking prowess, when you don't read ALL the directions carefully before you begin.
I decided to start over and do it right this time. I laid out Mastering the Art of French Cooking where I could read it in detail as I worked. I pulled out my last hunk of pie dough, and tried again. I knew that I could count on Julia Child to guide me through if I worked carefully. Looks like I did pretty much everything wrong the first time. I should have used a springform pan so that the quiche can stand alone when done. I should have set the oven at 400 degrees. I should have filled it with weights (or beans) so that it wouldn't puff up in the middle and sink down around the edges. I should have baked it for 8 to 9 minutes, removed the weights and baked it for another 2 minutes.
I think I broke a sweat working on it but I did just what the book said, slid it into the oven and turned my attention to the filling. This is the easy part. I love leeks; they are so pretty and have that particular mild flavor. You have to wash them carefully because they tend to have grit in between the layers.
The easiest way to do this is to chop them first, then dunk them in cold water, swish 'em and pull them out, leaving the dirt behind like this:
I cooked these until they were tender and assembled the eggs, seasonings and cheese. Making sure to read each direction carefully, I mixed up the filling, poured it in and crossed my fingers. Unbaked quiche isn't much to look at and makes you wonder if it's going to be any good.
It was left to bake at 375 for about 30 minutes while I cleaned up pie dough and play dough. I left the whole thing in the pan with the sides still on just to make sure I didn't have another disaster. It puffed and browned just like it should!
I held my breath and carefully took off the spring-form pan and slid it onto a plate......
Ta -Da!! Notice how the sides are standing tall! At this point I didn't even care how it tasted anymore. This was me versus pie dough, and I WON.
Leek and Swiss Quiche recipe by Julia Child
1 partially baked pie crust; I used One Pie Dough to Rule them All
1 or 2 sliced leeks
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
3 Tb butter and/or olive oil
Cook the leeks in water and fat with salt until they are tender.
3 eggs
1 cup cream - I used half and half
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
Beat the eggs, cream, half the cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the leeks. Pour into pastry shell and sprinkle remaining cheese over it. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until puffed and brown. Julia Child says it will stay puffed for about 10 minutes in the turned off hot oven with the door ajar. As it cools, it sinks down. Quiche is great left over, but it will not puff again.
The crust made this a really delicious dish. You can see in the picture how flaky it is. The filling is just right too. The leeks and swiss harmonize without being overpowering. It's creamy, mild and savory in the middle and rich and crusty on the outside. I will make this again because I love eggs for dinner, and I'll be an old pro at partially baked crust.
Good idea and thanks for trying it!
Posted by: sweetie pie | Sunday, 13 February 2011 at 08:40 AM
Delicious! Though mine did not look as good as yours - I cheated and used a store bought crust. When cooking the leeks I threw in some remnant collard greens I had in the fridge and I think that was a nice addition.
Posted by: Christina | Sunday, 13 February 2011 at 07:58 AM