Pie and Pastry Bible (97 page)

This quiche would make a lovely brunch dish or appetizer for a fancy dinner party.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350 °F. • BAKING TIME: 20 TO 25 MINUTES SERVES: 2 AS A MAIN COURSE, 6 AS AN APPETIZER
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*You can substitute ounces of dried morels soaked in 1½ cups water for at least 30 minutes. Add the strained soaking liquid to the stock before reducing it.
†Or 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of sugar.
‡Or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme.
½ recipe Flaky Pastry for a 7¾-inch tart or 7-inch skillet, preferably lard (page 41), prebaked and still warm		6 ounces	170 grams
½ large egg white, lightly beaten	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	15 grams
1 can no-salt chicken broth	approx. 1¾ cups	approx. 14.5 ounces	411 grams
unsalted butter	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	14 grams
minced shallots	4 teaspoons	•	•
1 large garlic clove, smashed		0.25 ounce	7 grams
fresh morel mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size	3½ cups	12 ounces	340 grams
white wine, preferably Spätlese Riesling†	¼ liquid cup	•	•
fresh thyme leaves‡	1 teaspoon	•	•
milk	¼ liquid cup	•	•
heavy cream	1 tablespoon	•	•
1 large egg	3 tablespoons	1.75 ounces 50 grams (weighed without the shells)
salt	teaspoon	•	•
freshly ground black pepper	1/16 teaspoon	•	•

EQUIPMENT

A 7¾-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or a 7-inch skillet

Make the dough (page 41). Roll, shape, and prebake it (see page 251). While it is still warm, brush it with the egg white (see page 20).

Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or cookie sheet on it before preheating.

In a medium saucepan, place the chicken stock and, over high heat, boil it down until it is reduced to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes. Set it aside.

In a medium sauté pan, over low heat, melt the butter and sauté the shallots and smashed garlic until the shallots are translucent. Add the morels, raise the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer. (If you are using store-bought morels and they are somewhat dry, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water.) Uncover and cook for 5 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated. (The morels will have reduced in volume to about 1 cup.) Add the wine and cook for about 3 minutes or until most of it has evaporated. Remove and discard the garlic and stir in the thyme. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tart shell.

In a 1-cup liquid measure or a small bowl, whisk together the reduced stock, the milk, cream, egg, salt, and pepper. (You will have about ¾ cup.) Pour this mixture over the mushroom mixture.

Place the tart pan on the baking stone or sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a thin knife blade inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the quiche to cool at least 10 minutes before unmolding.

Unmold the quiche (see page 251) and serve warm or at room temperature.

STORE

Refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days. To reheat, bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F. oven.

NOTE

To dry morels without a dehydrator, place them on wire racks in an oven with a pilot light. Place a sheet of foil on the oven rack below or on the oven floor to capture the mushroom dust. Small morels require about 48 hours; large one (tennis ball-size heads), 60 hours. When the morels are totally dried, snap off the stems. (They are too tough to eat but can be pulverized in a food processor and added to stock or grain dishes or even mixed into the flour for making pasta.) Store the
dried morels in glass canning jars, tightly capped. They will keep indefinitely. I am grateful to James Beard, who gave me my first dried morel, from his home state of Oregon.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

If using a two-piece tart pan, place it on a baking sheet with low sides or a jelly-roll pan just in case the filling should leak.

To prevent curdling, bake only until the knife blade comes out clean.

UNDERSTANDING

The custard in this mixture will not be quite as silky smooth as usual because of an enzyme in the morel that alters it slightly. For this reason also, cræme fraîche is not an acceptable substitute for the heavy cream, as the enzyme would cause it to separate.

SPICY SPINACH QUICHE

T
he spinach filling in this quiche is novelist and cookbook writer Laurie Colwin’s spinach soufflé. People who love spinach adore this recipe, but what is amazing is that dyed-in-the-wool spinach haters also seem to make an exception for the dish. The sautéed onion and garlic help, but it’s no doubt the spicy, creamy cheese that makes the critical difference.

I have added optional quail egg yolks because when the quiche is cut into slices, the contrast of the deep forest green filling against the tiny, bright yellow egg yolks is stunning. The yolks also add the element of a sauce, as they are still runny. Alternatively, the pine nut garnish is an attractive and delicious toasty adjunct to the slight bitterness of the spinach.

EQUIPMENT

A 9½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350°F. • BAKING TIME: 25 TO 35 MINUTES SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
* One pound of fresh morels or ordinary mushrooms, sliced, can be substituted. Sauté them until their moisture has evaporated and they begin to brown.
†Or 6 cups (2 pounds) 1-inch chunks cooked chicken, preferably dark meat.
Flaky Pastry for a 9½-inch tart, preferably whole wheat cream cheese (page 32), prebaked and still warm		11 ounces	312 grams
½ large egg white, lightly beaten	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	15 grams
1 package frozen chopped spinach	1 cup	10 ounces	283 grams
unsalted butter	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	14 grams
½ small onion, chopped	cup	1.5 ounces	43 grams
1 large garlic clove, minced	2 teaspoons	0.25 ounce	7 grams
evaporated milk	¼ liquid cup	2 ounces	58 grams
2 large eggs	3 fluid ounces	3-5 ounces 100 grams (weighed without the shells)
celery salt	½ teaspoon	•	•
freshly ground black pepper	teaspoon	•	•
grated Monterey Jack pepper cheese or Muenster	1 cup (medium-firmly packed)	3 ounces	86 grams
Optional Garnish 6 quail egg yolks or lightly toasted pine nuts	• 3 tablespoons	• approx. 1 ounce	• 33 grams