Quiche Recipe

What Sets This Quiche Recipe Apart?

As I said in the introduction, this quiche recipe is really all about the custard.

In this case, I use creme fraiche for the majority of the dairy. That makes this a very rich quiche, but it also has a little tang to it that keeps it from feeling super heavy.

The custard is based on Thomas Keller’s quiche recipe, which I used to make at the restaurant for brunch service.

We always hoped there’d be a piece or two left over so we could eat it.

And when the folks who make and serve this stuff all the time also want to eat it and aren’t tired of it, you know it’s good.

Another great thing about this custard is that you make it in the blender. That means it’s super smooth and creamy and also your mix-ins are much more likely to stay suspended in the custard rather than sinking to the bottom of your quiche.

See how creamy and how the toppings are all suspended in the custard and not just all stuck down in the bottom half of the quiche? Perfect!

How to Line Your Deep Dish Tart Pan

Make some pate brisee. Here’s your recipe.

Roll it into a circle-esque shape big enough to line and go up the sides and hang over the edge of a 9″ springform pan. This means you need a Big Big Circle, probably about 15″-16″.

Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use a piece of dough to help push the crust into the corners. Remember not to pull the dough to get it to fit. Always push it.

Fold the excess dough over the edges of the pan all around.

Some parts will hang down more than other parts.

Don’t worry about it–this dough flap is an anchor to keep your dough from sliding down the vertical surface of the pan.

Once your dough is All In, make sure there are no cracks. Cracks equal Leaking equal Did-You-Know-That-Glue-Is-Made-From-Protein? Patch them with some extra dough.

Freeze the shell for about half an hour, then line the tart shell with some crumpled-then-uncrumpled parchment paper, heavy-duty plastic wrap, or an extra large coffee filter and fill up with some dried beans or sugar.

Bake at 375F until the edges are browned–about 35 minutes or so.

Remove the pie weights and parchment and check for cracks again. Patch as necessary, brush the inside of the crust with some egg wash, prick the crust all over the bottom and sides with the tip of a knife (docking), and continue baking for another 20 minutes or so, or until the bottom is lightly golden.

If the outside edges are getting too brown, don’t worry–you’ll be cutting those off anyway.

How To Make the Custard for Quiche

Once you have a parbaked crust, it’s time to make your delicious savory custard.

Remember, you can use whatever “mix-ins” or fillings you like, but the custard is really the defining characteristic of a great quiche.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

• creme fraiche: This makes up the bulk of the dairy in the custard. The lovely, subtle tang of creme fraiche keeps the quiche from feeling too heavy. You may substitute heavy cream or use additional half-and-half for a less-rich custard. You can also use half half and half and half sour cream if you’d like the tang without having to make creme fraiche
• half and half: This makes up roughly 1/3 of the dairy in the custard. You can use whole milk if you prefer. But in that case, do use all cream or creme fraiche above. You don’t want a thin custard that won’t be as creamy
• eggs: Five large eggs. The eggs provide the setting power, some flavor, emulsifiers, and they lend a lovely creamy pale yellow color to the custard
• egg yolks: One additional egg yolk ensures a rich and well-emulsified custard
• kosher salt: You need a fair amount of salt, especially if your mix-ins are less salty. I use 2 full teaspoons of Morton’s kosher salt. If you use Diamond kosher salt, you will probably need a bit more. If using fine salt, start with 1 teaspoon and go from there
• white pepper: You may use black pepper if that is all you have. I love the flavor and aroma of white pepper, so that’s what I use. Also, if you’re using a lot of pale fillings, you may not want a bunch of black specks in your quiche, so it’s completely your call
• nutmeg: Not necessary, strictly speaking, but it is traditional to add a bit of nutmeg. I especially like nutmeg if I’m using greens in my filling. In this case, one of my fillings was a lot of baby spinach, so nutmeg was quite welcome

Procedure

This is a seriously easy custard to make, friends.

Everything goes in your blender.

Whir it up until it is super smooth and frothy.

The End.

Unlike custards like creme brulee, you don’t need to worry about a water bath for baking, because the crust acts as an insulator to keep the custard nice and creamy even while in a 375F oven.

Adding the Toppings/Mix-Ins

The cool thing about this custard is that all the little bubbles from being in the blender suspend the fillings so you don’t end up with a quiche that is solid fillings on the bottom and custard on the top.

No, this quiche is a lovely blend of both in every single bite.

Bake your guy for anywhere from 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes until it is deeply golden brown and barely jiggles in the center.

You’re looking for between 165F-170F in the center using an instant-read thermometer.

Once you bake your filled tart, use a serrated knife or even your bench knife to cut/break off the excess, overhanging crust.

Rules for Quiche “Mix-Ins” or Fillings

You can fill your quiche with whatever you’d like, although there are a few rules to follow to get the best results.

• Use any kind of good melting cheese but don’t go overboard. About a cup or 4 oz of any one cheese or a mixture of 2 is plenty.
• If adding crunchy vegetables, saute or roast them to get rid of most of their liquid before adding them to your quiche.
• Add pre-cooked meats, already cut up or in small pieces to make cutting your quiche easier.
• Season all your mix-in elements (okay, not cheese or cured meats) to make sure your quiche isn’t bland, especially if you are going heavy on the fillings.

Equipment You May Need

If you don’t have a 2″ deep dish tart pan, you can either get one, or you can make 2 quiches in “regular” pie pans.

I love this pan because it’s easy to use, easy to remove the sides (much easier than a springform pan) and because the presentation is nice and dramatic.

I also use this pan for my deep dish lemon meringue tart recipe.

What Happens if My Crust Leaks?

The good news is, the answer is not much, as long as your pan is non-stick.

What happens when you have one or two small holes is some of the custard will run out underneath the crust and may possibly even get pushed up the sides between the crust and the sides of the pan.

Fortunately, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You’ll end up with a quiche that looks like mine: with a pastry crust that goes all the way to the top and an “eggy crust” that goes about halfway up.

You can avoid this by patching exceedingly carefully before baking, but please know that if The Leak happens to you, it will be fine.

See?

If anyone questions you, tell them it’s a double crust quiche and to hush.

Quiche Q & A

Serving Suggestions

I think quiche is great to eat just on its own. And especially if you put vegetables in yours, you can feel very righteous about not adding a side salad.

But, perhaps a side salad might be nice? Perhaps with a sherry lime vinaigrette?

Another light side dish that would go nicely is marinated Korean cucumber salad.

Generally anything with a bright/sharp element will help to offset the richness of the quiche.

Questions?

If you have questions about this post or recipe, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can leave a comment on the post and I will get back to you within about 24 hours.

If your question is more urgent, please shoot me an email, and I will respond within 4 hours, unless I’m asleep.

A Note About Measurements

NOTE: Most of my recipes are written by weight and not volume, even the liquids.

Even though I try to provide you with volume measurements as well, I encourage you to buy a kitchen scale for ease of measuring, accuracy, and consistency.

This is the scale I use, love, and recommend. If you’re unsure, please read my post about how to use a food scale.

I really hope you enjoy the quiche friends! It is definitely a winner!

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