There are recipes, that fly across borders and continents to become favorites of people from every corner of the earth. One of them is quiche.
It is a savory tart or a kind of uncovered pie consisting of a crunchy buttery crust for a base and a creamy, tender filling with a base of eggs and cream.
The original quiche recipe was born as early as the 18th century in northwestern France, in the Lorraine region. From there, the authentic quiche is called Quiche Lorraine.
Over the years, it spread to other areas of the country, each adding something authentic and typical of the area. For example, in the Vosgos region, they added cheese and bacon to the creamy mixture of eggs and cream and called the quiche Quiche Vosgienne. In the Alsacia region, they added fried or stewed onions and called it Quiche Alsacienne.
Nowadays, we prepare various types of quiche from all kinds of vegetables, mushrooms, cheeses, sausages and even fish. This savory type of tart gives us the opportunity for thousands of combinations to combine according to our personal choice and taste.
As for the butter dough, you will find recipes for it with or without egg, everyone decides for themselves which they likes better. The rule is to mix the products cold, the batter should be thin and stick to the sides of the mold, forming a tart form in which the filling will be added.
Perhaps the small difference between a savory tart and a quiche is the height, apart from the creamier filling. Quiche is taller and thicker than the thin tart.
The other feature is that the base itself is baked in advance for 10 to 15 minutes at 160-180°C. After it is placed in the mold, it is stored in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or for 10 minutes in the freezer. Pierce it with a fork and cover with baking paper, on which a weight is placed.
This ensures, that it will not swell and deform during baking.
A trick to keep the base crunchy is to brush it with a thin layer of egg white after removing it from the oven. From the heat, it will harden immediately and form a protective layer, which will not allow the stuffing to soften the base.
The products, which are added to the mixture of eggs and cream (their ratio is usually 3 eggs per 200 g of cream) also undergo preliminary heat treatment and are very well strained from separated liquids or fat. This could be bacon, as we said, spinach, mushrooms and onions, etc.
If cheese is to be added, it should be the kind that is easy to melt - Emmental, Gouda, or another suitable one.
It is important, that the base of the filling itself (eggs and cream) is well beaten and fluffy, which will keep the rest of the products from falling to the bottom. For this purpose, sometimes a little flour is added, which adds density.
After the filling is poured on the half-baked base, the quiche is placed back in the oven at the same temperatures for another 35-40 minutes. This is the standard time, but it also depends on the size and thickness of the one you are making. The surest indication, that it is ready, is when edges of the dough aquire an appetizing color and the slightly firm filling, which, however, wobbles slightly.
The perfectly baked quiche is left to rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing it.
It is perfect for snacking at any time and making use of the products in the fridge, by turning them into a delicious classic masterpiece.
And here are some of our delicious quiche suggestions - mushroom quiche, cheese quiche, spinach quiche or vegan quiche.
