Smoked salmon is a natural choice for a pescatarian riff on the classic French quiche Lorraine, which uses ample amounts of smoky bacon. The perfect accompaniment is a fresh green salad with a light, tangy vinaigrette to balance the richness of the quiche.
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled
- ¼ cup ice water
- 1 large egg yolk
- Filling:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large leek (10 to 12 ounces, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced (wash well) (1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon chopped thyme
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded cave aged Gruyere
- ½ pound smoked salmon, skinned and broken into large flakes
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1¼ cups heavy or light cream
Directions
Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 1¼ cups flour with the salt. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas. Lift the lid and add the egg yolk and ice water and pulse until moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until smooth. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 11-inch circle. Gently press the pastry into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom and trim the excess. Poke the bottom all over with a fork and chill until firm. Line the pastry with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, just until dry. Remove the foil and bake the crust until golden and dry, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Set the tart pan on a sturdy baking sheet.
Make the filling & Bake
While the pastry bakes, in a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the leeks and thyme, season with salt and white pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, then stir in the cheese and salmon. Spread the mixture on the bottom of the pastry. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the yolk and half & half. Season lightly with salt and white pepper.
Pour the custard over the filling and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, until the custard is set, puffed and lightly browned. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the ring and cut the quiche into wedges.
Pro Tips
Pair it Up
Pour a glass of off-dry sauvignon blanc from New Zealand to cut the richness of the cream and balance the smokiness of the salmon.
Change it Up
Stir some fresh tarragon, parsley, and chives into the egg and cream mixture for deep herbal flavor.
Lighten it Up
Half & half is a lighter alternative to heavy or light cream. Whole milk is a bit lean and won’t give the same silky texture, so avoid the impulse to lighten it up and make up for the calories tomorrow.
Time Saver
The baked quiche can be refrigerated overnight. Re-warm in a 325° oven, loosely covered, before serving. You can also bake the quiche in 4 to 6 mini fluted tart molds, then wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before rewarming.
Know Your Cook
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
