REAL MEN EAT QUICHE

October 3, 2006
Show #514

One of the original "gourmet" dishes imported from France back in the 1960's, quiche has become a well established fixture in American cuisine. This simple cheese and custard pie can be doctored up any number of ways, and rarely does it fail to please. Somewhere along the line quiche became associated with effete, snooty tastes (which is inexplicable, since this is a classic "peasant" dish) and it was declared that "real men" wouldn't touch a quiche with a lumberjack's ax. Al and Jerry think this is a lot of hooey, and have never stopped baking, serving and enjoying quiche.

Quiche is a marvelous spur of the moment dish, since its preparation isn't all that complicated. Toss some flour, butter, salt and ice water into a food processor and you've got your dough. Cook up a little bacon, whatever leftover vegetables you might have on hand, whip up a cream and egg mix and you're home free.

Here are a few tips:

1.            Work with cold ingredients for the dough, and use that Cuisinart!

2.            "Blind bake" the crust by covering it with tin foil, weighing it down and putting it in moderate over for about 15 minutes. This will pre-bake the crust and keep it from getting soggy.

3.            You have a pretty wide latitude with cheese choices. Grated imported Swiss is perfect, but don't overlook Gruyere, Emmenthaler, good quality Cheddar, Jarlsberg or even coat cheese.

4.            Pre-cook your other ingredients, since the baking process will not be sufficient to finish them. Good ideas include zucchini, broccoli florets, cauliflower, asparagus tips, chopped up sausage, ham, bacon, crab or lobster meat, salmon or tuna chunks, and sun-dried tomatoes. Regardless of what you add, nutmeg seems to be the universal quiche seasoning. Of course, you should feel free to season harmoniously, particularly with any of the various parsleys, rosemary, thyme, or sage. White pepper is often preferred to black, in deference to the paleness of the overall palate.

5.            Try using a slow 325 degree oven rather than a hotter one. Too much heat can "crack the custard" and scorch the top crust. A lower heat gives a nice uniform cooking and allows the custard to get that beautiful golden glow.

AL'S ZUCCHINI QUICHE
A Radio Kitchen Original Recipe

For the crust
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ice water (more or less, as needed)

1.            Sift the flour and pour it into a food processor. Add the butter and salt. Process at a low speed, pulsing lightly for just a few seconds. Add ice water 1 spoonful at a time. Continue to pulse and add water until the mixture just begins to ball up. Remove the dough from the processor, pat into a flattish disk and roll out on a floured surface.

2.            When the dough is large enough to fill a 9" pie pan, roll it up on the rolling pin, and unroll it onto the pan. Flatten and press down the dough, covering the bottom, sides, and the rim. Trim excess, pierce the bottom a few times with a fork, and decorate the edge with the fork tines.

3.            Cover the crust with aluminum foil, and weigh it down with dried beans, or a couple salad plates. Place in a 400 degree oven to "blind bake" for 12-15 minutes, or until the edge starts to look done. Remove, set aside to cool, and reduce the oven to 325.

For the filling 1 medium yellow zucchini squash, washed and trimmed
1/2 cup diced white onion
Olive oil
6 strips of bacon, fried, dried and cut into 1" lengths
2 cups of grated imported Swiss cheese
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 level teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1.            Grate the zucchini, then sautee it in the olive oil with the diced onion, until the onion is transparent.

2.            Prepare the custard mixture by whisking together the eggs, yolks and cream until thoroughly mixed. Season with the salt, white pepper and nutmeg.

3.            Lay down a layer of grated cheese in the pie crust. Lay down a layer of the squash/onion mixture, another layer of cheese, then sprinkle the bacon, and a final layer of cheese on top.

Draw out the middle rack of your pre-heated oven, place the filled pie pan on it, and then pour the custard mixture into the pie. Stop when you are a little under the level of the rim. Insert the shelf, close the oven door and bake for about 40 minutes, until a fork will emerge clean, and the top crust is golden.

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