Inspired, yet again, by a Michael Ruhlman post - The Best Quiche; I had to try my hand at it. Especially since I had saved some of my pancetta-cured bacon in slab form to make lardons. As my husband says, “Any recipe (like my sister Peggy’s famous Baked Potato Casserole) that starts with a pound of bacon, is a good recipe”.
Well, my mama was praised for her pie crust which she always made using Crisco; so there.
Good thing I stole her pastry cutter.
No beans to use for pie weights, but rice works.
The onions softened, but not too browned.
Lardons from my slab bacon.
I shouldn’t have used the microplane for the Emmental cheese. It was so fine, by the time I was ready to sprinkle it, it was almost melted together even though I put it in the fridge. Next time I’ll use the box grater.
The lardons draining. Crispy on the outside; still tender on the inside.
Custard mise en place. I love this nutmeg grater; no more knuckle-skin flakes in the food. And, you’d have to pry my Magnum pepper mill from my cold, dead fingers.
Half the lardon and onion mixture. Then added half of the frothed custard and half of the cheese. Repeat.
Pooh! Even though I thought I patched all the cracks in the crust, I must have missed some. I think I was being too careful not to overwork the dough.
My husband said, “It’s ugly.”
Here it is cleaned up a bit.
It may not be that pretty, but it was good, very luxurious.
I don't know about being a real man but this was a hearty quiche. What's not to like.
ReplyDeleteI really recommend using a food processor next time to make sure you have no lumps of fat in there that wpould melt an cause a leak. Also, butter is divine in this quiche. Give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteDear e.nassar,
ReplyDeleteThanks for my first comment not from a family member! I'll have to give your idea a try. Having only made crusts for pie before; I thought the key to a flaky crust was to preserve fairly large (pea sized) lumps of fat. But I think no leaks would beat flaky here.
Carol
Yeah, I know what you mean about the pea size pieces. Usually that is the case, but not here. Ruhlman does not make it as clear, but the original recipe for this from Keller's Bouchon book is very specific. Keller clearly states to completely homoginize the dough so that no butter specks are left. Any butter pieces will melt, create a hole and cause a leak. I experimented a lot with Keller's recipe and a processor (which he recommends) is the way to go. It keeps the dough cold while incorporating everything. Best of luck!
ReplyDelete