The Quiche Project Step 2: The Filling and the Wine
Fill the Quiche!
We have a par-baked crust, now let’s fill it. One of the things that makes quiche so interesting is the way it can be adapted to such a wide variety of ingredients beyond the basic cream, eggs, milk, and cheese. Anything from expensive smoked salmon to whatever is leftover in the fridge is fair game.
(click on any photo for a full size slide show with captions)
The Classic: Quiche Lorraine
If there is one classic in this category, it has to be Quiche Lorraine. Finding the most authentic version requires a bit of work. My go-to reference for French classics is On Va Deguster la France / Let’s Eat France (English version). By coincidence, I was gifted both versions in the last year. I keep the French version at our apartment in Dijon, and the English version at our apartment in Minneapolis. The proper filling for Quiche Lorraine is simple: lardon fumé (smoked pork belly), eggs, crême, and crême epaisse (similar to crême fraiche). No milk, no cheese. This produced a super-rich quiche which I can appreciate for its classic nature and not much more. Not for me. On Va Deguster features classic recipes, excellent photography and cheeky text. The Quiche Lorraine page includes a list of questions, one of which is: “Can I add cheese?” The answer is an emphatic (imagine a French person saying this) “No! C’est un crime!”
Other Trials
We asked friends and relatives for favorite recipes, tried our own versions of quiches we have purchased at our butcher and our boulangerie in Dijon. Recently we tried a David Lebovitz recipe that features Roquefort cheese. Here are some of our thoughts, you might find something intriguing:
• Cousin Kay’s favorite – smoked salmon, goat cheese and fresh herbs, usually dill. We liked this one, but somehow, salmon isn’t my favorite in quiche.
• Our boulangerie in Dijon – veggie quiche with leeks, broccoli, red pepper, comté cheese. This is a nice veggie-only version. The veggies need to be well sautéed and pressed to remove moisture or else the quiche can be a bit runny.
• Our butcher in Dijon – personal size Quiche Lorraine with the addition of onion and the outlawed cheese. The custard also seems less rich than the pure cream classic.
• David Lebovitz from My Paris Kitchen – ham, Roquefort cheese and pear. Julie loves this one. While I’m a fan of Roquefort cheese, it is very strong and was a bit much for me. If you are a blue cheese fan, this is one to try!
Our Favorite Emerges
One of the most fun things about quiche is that the variations are endless. I’m sure I will continue to explore other combinations, but our favorite has emerged: Canadian bacon (or ham), leeks, red pepper, mushrooms and easy melting cheese like Comté, Gouda, Cheddar.
Favorite Quiche Filling for 10 inch pan
This is our current favorite quiche filling. I like lots of filling in my quiche. I use a ratio of 1 egg to 120 ml (4 oz) of cream/milk. I use an equal ratio of heavy cream and milk
Ingredients
- 1 large leek, rinsed, sliced lengthwise then sliced crosswise into thin half-moons
- 1/2 red pepper, cut into small cubes
- 250g(8 oz) mushrooms, chopped roughly and sautéed or roasted
- 120g (4 oz) Canadian bacon or ham, cubed
- 60-90g (2-3 oz) shredded cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 180 ml (6 oz) heavy cream
- 180 ml (6 oz) whole milk
- butter as needed to sauté the vegetables
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 190° C (375° F). I use a convection setting.
- Sauté or roast the mushrooms. Lately I have been roasting.
- Sauté the leeks and red peppers in butter
- Combine the leeks, red peppers, mushrooms and cubed ham in a large skillet and continue to sauté
- Whisk together the eggs, then add the cream and milk and whisk a bit further
- Add the vegetables to the par-baked crust, then cover with the shredded cheese
- Carefully pour the egg/cream mixture over the vegetables and cheese. Be careful to not overfill the edge of the crust!
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until the filling is firm. As it nears completion, the filling will puff up.
- Remove from the oven and let sit 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- A classic side for quiche is a simple salad of greens with vinaigrette
Wines for Quiche
This is a wine blog after all, so you might suspect I have been trying a variety of wines with quiche. Right you are! Take a look below at a sampling of the wines I have been enjoying with quiche over the last several months. Crisp whites, rosé, lighter reds have all worked well. I’m sure sparkling wines would shine, too. I haven’t tried many orange wines or bigger more tannic reds to date. Possibly due to the fillings I have chosen and the egg/cream/milk custard base? Anyway, I will continue to look for delicious match-ups with orange wines and tannic reds. Maybe a quiche with leftover braised beef or lamb?
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