I thought Quiche was done… Not done as in ‘over’. It’s a classic and will never die! But done as in ‘fully evolved’. Then I came across a new quiche recipe that updates, maximizes and totally newstalgizes the concept. It’s easily the most luxe quiche you’ll ever eat!
Yes. It deserves the oversized glam photo, above, to fully communicate its grandeur. The most luxurious quiche you ever ate is just waiting to be baked…
Not just another egg pie…
My Dad used to call quiche ‘egg pie’. He really didn’t like it. It was, to him, an omelet in a crust. And the crust was superfluous. A ‘real’ egg was something that stood proudly on its own. Following in that vein, his favourite was a perfect soft-boiled egg with a nice runny yolk. Which he cooked himself on Sunday mornings for breakfast. And we all enjoyed the fruits of his labour.
My job was to prepare the mandatory toast fingers: whole wheat bread with the crusts trimmed off so the fingers were perfect rectangles. And toasted firmly enough to stand up to dipping in the yolks.
In short… Dad lavished the affection most folks have for Quiche on his simple – but iconic – boiled eggs. Not even the perfect quiche can please everybody.
Nevertheless…
Today’s recipe ‘find’ comes as close to quiche perfection as any I’ve yet seen!
Here’s the real key to the dish’s exceptionality: Instead of plain milk or table cream, Delish contrib-utor Taylor Ann Spencer calls for 35 percent whipping cream and whole milk! That ensures the cust-ard that results will be as rich as you could every hope to achieve. Why not just all heavy cream? Believe it or not, the custard wouldn’t turn out properly. The texture would be… off. I know. I’ve tried it.
Spencer also makes a point that her recipe calls for Large eggs. And she stresses that Large eggs are necessary for the recipe to come out right. It has something to do with the total volume of the yolks and whites. Note that she calls for 2 yolks, and 4 whites. Which ensures the custard, though made with heavy cream, will come out light and fluffy.
The perfect quiche – for some aficionados – would be plain egg and cheese with, maybe, a little garlic and chives. But for me, that would be bland. And the presentation would be boring. Spencer apparently agrees. So she adds cubed ham steak. That’s a classic quiche enhancement. You can add whatever you like. It’s your creation!
And the cheese… Spencer says the dish just isn’t the same unless you stick to her prescription for Gruyere. The flavour and texture are both important to the success of her luxe dish.
My take
I know the heavy cream and Gruyere cheese are extravagances we usually shun here at the FFB. But in this case, they really do make the dish the special, luxe treat it is meant to be. DO make Spencer’s quiche her way the first time, at least. After that, you can start substituting less-luxe ingredients. But be aware that you may also be downgrading the original heavenly experience!
~ Maggie J.