I am always on a quest for new ideas for pastry crust. Pies, both savory and sweet are a permanent part of my memory bank and producing a perfectly flaky crust is to me the equivalent of nirvana. I am also drawn to all things French and when I found this cookbook at a bargain price, I knew that I would be sampling many of the recipes within.
I have posted one recipe from this book already. It was Salame di Cioccolata. Many of the recipes are sweet confections, but there is also a section on quiches. I was intrigued by the savory shortcrust pastry which has a ratio of butter to flour of 1/2 and also includes an egg. Also the pastry was done completely in a food processor. The quiche filling is similar to ones I have used before and I loved the idea of using mushrooms to enhance the flavor. The pastry was easy to handle and considering that I had to use it to line six small quiche pans, it was forgiving of the cutting, lifting, and patting into place. The finished quiches lifted easily from the pans and held their shape when placed on the serving plate. They were good, very good. The filling was savory and with the mushrooms, very earthy. I am still searching for the perfect crust though . . . the flakiness was not quite there.
I served the quiches over a simply dressed green salad. I love individual quiches and there are so many ways you can use them. They would make a perfect first course with dressed baby greens, for brunch with fruit and sweet rolls, for lunch on the run, or packed in a picnic basket with a chilled bottle of pinot grigio and chocolate truffles. Enough already. . . I am making myself hungry.
WILD MUSHROOM QUICHE – From Artisan Patisserie for the Home Baker by Danya Weiner
Savory Shortcrust Pastry:
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 Tbls cold water
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Place the butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process 2 minutes until thoroughly combined. Stop the processor and add the egg, water, and half the flour. Continue to process 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and uniform. Stop the processor again, add the remaining flour, and continue to process 1 minute until a neat ball is formed. Remove the dough from the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour before using.
Basic Quiche Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Combine the eggs and heavy cream in a bowl and mix gently. Whisk in the salt and nutmeg till smooth. Use immediately or transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Wild Mushroom Quiche:
1 recipe Savory shortcrust Pastry
1 egg. beaten
1/2 cup butter ( I used only 3 Tablespoons)
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups assorted wild mushrooms ( I used Shitakes)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 Tbls finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 recipe Basic Quiche Filling
1. Roll out the shortcrust pastry 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface.
2. Divide the dough evenly among six 4-inch quiche pans, using your fingers to press the dough into place. Cut off any excess dough around the edges.
3. Place the pans in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. Cut out pieces of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pans. Place the paper over the chilled dough and weigh down with beans or commercial pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the weights and a paper, and brush the bottoms and sides with the egg. Bake for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the pans to a work surface.
6. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute till softened.
7. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. stirring often, until the mushrooms are softened and aromatic. Add the remaining butter ( 2 tablespoons) and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Now add the parsley and stir.
8. Drain the mushrooms and divide equally among the pans. Sprinkle the cheese and pour the prepared filling on top. Return the pans to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature and reheat before serving. Also good at room temperature.
