Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Pastry Dough:
6 tbsp chilled butter, cut into 1/4-inch bits
2 tbsp chilled vegetable shortening
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3-5 tbsp ice water
Custard Filling:
6 pieces lean bacon, or two slices Honey Baked Ham
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 green onions chopped or use chives
2 eggs plus 2 extra egg yolks
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of white pepper
3/4 cup grated imported Swiss cheese ( or Swiss and freshly grated Parmesan cheese combined)
2 tbsp butter cut in tiny pieces
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Directions: |
Directions:PASTRY: Preheat oven to 400º F
In a large chilled mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, flour and salt. Cut with pastry blender until it looks like coarse meal. Pour 3 tbsp of ice water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly and gather into a ball. If the dough seems crumbly, add up to 2 tbsp more ice water by drops. Dust pastry with flour and wrap in wax paper or plastic. Refrigerate it for at least 3 hours or until firm.
Remove pastry from refrigerator 5 minutes before rolling it. Place the ball on a floured board or table and, with the heel of one hand, press it into a flat circle about 1 inch thick. Dust more flour over and under it and roll it out from Center to within an inch of the far edge. Lift the dough an turn clockwise the space of 2 hours on the clock. Repeat lifting, turning until circle is 11-12 inches across.
Butter bottom and sides on a 8-9 inch quiche pan. Roll the pastry over the pin and unroll it over the pan. Gently place the pastry into the bottom and around the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it. Roll the pin over the rim of the pan, pressing down to trim off the excess. With a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry all over. Chill for 1 hour.
(A purchased Pillsbury pie crust may be substituted when necessary, but the original crust recipe adds a special authentic touch to the results.)
To keep the bottom of the pastry from puffing up, spread a sheet of buttered aluminum foil across the pan and dress it gently into the edges to support the sides of the pastry as it bakes.
Bake on middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the foil. Prick the pastry again and return to the oven for 3 minutes or until it starts to shrink from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and set aside.
(The crust may be baked in a tart pan, then removed from the pan after baking to serve from a plate.)
CHEESE-CUSTARD FILLING: Set oven temperature to 375º F.
Cut bacon in 1/4 inch strips and cook until crisp in hot skillet. If using ham instead, cut into small pieces. Chop fresh spinach and green onions. Set all this aside.
With a wire whisk, beat the eggs, extra egg yolks, cream and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl.
Place bacon (or ham) in bottom of partially baked pastry shell. Spread spinach, onions, and grated cheese on top.
Pour the cream and egg mixture over bacon etc. Put butter pieces on top. Bake in upper third of oven for 25-35 minutes or until a table knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve hot. |
This recipe for Quiche au Fromage is from