Quiche, At Last

I finally mustered up the guts to make quiche. If you think about it, it’s not difficult to create—just whip up some eggs with milk or cream, add cheese and some kind of meat pour into a pie crust, then bake. If made well, it’s a good brunch item, enjoyable with a salad and wine or mimosa.

My problem is that I’m not a baker. I’m not good at following recipes to the letter. I do have recipes which I refer to, but I usually do something a little differently to give it my own twist. And it’s not that I can’t bake. I’ve made cakes, cookies, pizza dough and bread before. I just don’t have the patience for making them on a regular basis. Until I came across this recipe of Fresh Garlic and Anchovy Quiche from Too Many Chefs. It sounded so heavenly that I decided to try it even if I’ve never made a pie crust before.

In and Out

Quiche is a French word that came from the German Küche, derived from Kuchen, which means “little cake” (McGee). In fact, sources say this dish associated with France originated in Germany, in a region known in medieval times as Lothringen. When the place was no longer under German rule, the French renamed it Lorraine. The original quiche Lorraine was a savory pastry filled with an egg and cream custard, and smoked bacon.

Through the years, the quiche enjoyed alternating times of popularity and disdain. It’s funny how the Online Etymology Dictionary describes it: “Became fashionable 1970s; became contemptible 1980s.” These days, the quiche is still around, though just under the radar.

Dried Out Dough

The first crust I made was too dry that I couldn’t lift it off the table without it crumbling. I guess I didn’t add enough water before I chilled it. I added some more cold water to salvage it but it was still too dry. Not wanting to overprocess the dough, I elected to just press the dough onto the pie plate! The horror! BUT after blind baking the dough, pouring the custard mix and baking it, it turned out okay. The taste was fantastic! I love garlic. And I love anchovies. To have them together in this dish was divine. There was no overpowering taste of either ingredient. Many thanks to Meg in Paris of Too Many Chefs for sharing this recipe in their blog.

My crust turned out to be too chalky for my taste, though; but some of my friends still liked it. In any case, I decided I’d add more water the next time I made one.


Filipino Style…

…And why not. If you can use anchovies, why not tuyo (dried fish)? I also added kesong puti (a local white cheese). This time my pie crust was so much better—light and flaky. The taste of this version was interesting but I think I need to add more tuyo because it was too subtle. Not bad though. Maybe next week I’ll work on a better version of this one.


Quiche Pinoy v1.0
adapted from Too Many Chefs

Yield: 8 servings

Crust:

1 cup flour
1 egg yolk
90 grams unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
3 to 4 Tbsps cold water

1) Combine flour, salt and butter and rub them together with your hands until mixed. Big portions of butter left in the mix will result in a flakier crust. Smaller pieces of butter will result in a heavier, more crumbly crust.
2) Add the egg yolk and water. Mix until you are able to form a ball with the dough.
3) Shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
4) Flour your work area and rolling pin. Roll out the dough then transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. (To transfer, loosely wrap the rolled out dough onto your rolling pin, then unroll the dough onto the pie plate. Use excess dough to lightly push the dough into place.)
5) Prick the dough with a fork in several places. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
6) Do not turn off oven or change the temperature after baking the crust.


Filling:

6 egg yolks plus one white
1 cup milk
1 head garlic, minced
1/3 bottle of gourmet tuyo, drained and flaked
4 pieces of whole tuyo fillets, halved lengthwise
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
kesong puti, sliced
spring onions, chopped
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
freshly grated black pepper

1) Whisk together egg and milk.
2) Add the garlic, flaked tuyo, about a teaspoon of spring onions and pepper.
3) To assemble, sprinkle the pre-baked dough with Parmesan cheese.
4) Pour egg mixture onto the crust.
5) Arrange tomatoes, halved tuyo fillets and kesong puti decoratively on the egg mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
6) Bake in 350° oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out dry. Serve with arugula salad (topped with a light vinaigrette dressing and tuyo flakes). Great with wine. ;-)