Madame Quiche's Onion and Cheese Quiche

Madame Quiche's
Epicurious Foods (www.epicurious.com)

Serves:  6

 

 

This is the essence of Madame Quiche's recipe — I can proudly say that when you make this, you will be tasting a very near replica of the small quiches she sells each Saturday at the Louviers market.  There are a couple of keys to success here — be sure to let the pastry rest, as called for in the recipe.  Don't stint on freezing the pastry — cold pastry that goes into a hot oven becomes extra flaky and delicious.  Be sure to fully pre-bake the pastry as well, which guarantees crisp pastry on the bottom.  Finally, whole milk makes a difference here — I highly recommend it over any lower fat varieties.

 

1 pie crust
6 large eggs
 ⅔ cup heavy cream, or crème fraîche
1 cup milk, preferably whole
8 ounces gruyère, emmenthal, or other Swiss-type cheese
 ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, optional

Roll out the pastry to fit a 10½ inch glass or metal pie plate (not removable bottom).

  1. Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife

  2. Place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
 

Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. 

  1. Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and pastry weights. 

  2. Return the pastry to the oven to bake until the bottom is golden, an additional 5 minutes. 

  3. Remove from the oven and reserve.
     

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. 

  1. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended. 

  2. Turn the mixture into the pre-baked pastry, and spread out the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry. 

  3. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg if you've used a Swiss-type cheese, and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes. 

To test for doneness, shake the quiche - if it is solid without a pool of uncooked filling in the center, it is done. 

  • You may also stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is baked through.


Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.