Bacon and Leek Quiche (and a Recap of my Trip to France)
There's nothing at all complicated about this quiche but it's definitely worthy of company.
Course
Main
Cuisine
French
Prep Time1hour
Cook Time55minutes
Total Time1hour55minutes
Servings6
AuthorLemons & Anchovies
Ingredients
***For the Pastry Crust***
1 - 1¼cupsall-purpose flour140 – 175 grams; 145 grams is what I use
7tablespoons3½ ounces, 105 grams unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
⅛teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonsice water
***For the Fillingthis is for a 9 1/2 in x 1 1/2 in quiche dish***
3eggs
1 1/4cuphalf-and-half
3slicesbaconcut in pieces
1leekchopped, light and tender parts only
1/2onionchopped
3 - 4ouncescheddargrated
Pinchor two of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepperto taste
oil for sautéing
Micro greens for garnishoptional
Instructions
To prepare the Crust: Start with the smaller portion of flour; 145 grams works great for me. Process the flour, butter and salt in a food processor until the mixture is the texture of coarse crumbs, about 10-15 seconds. Add the ice water and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together, about 6 – 10 pulses. Be sure not to let the mixture form into a ball. Transfer the pastry to a plastic wrap, flatten and form into a disk (Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the remaining flour if the dough seems too sticky). Since I was going to use the dough for two individual quiches, I split the dough in two, formed each nto a disk and wrapped separately in plastic wrap to make it easier to roll later. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
To prepare the filling: Cook the bacon pieces until just crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Drain the rendered fat from the pan and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Over medium heat, cook the chopped onion until translucent, about 1-2 minutes, then add the leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion pieces start to caramelize and the leeks are tender. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and half and half and add the nutmeg. Set aside.
To par-bake the crust: Preheat your oven to 375℉. Lightly flour your workspace and roll out your chilled dough to roughly 12 inches in diameter. Spray the dish with a little nonstick spray and carefully transfer the rolled out dough onto the dish. Press the dough firmly on the bottom and sides of the dish. Tuck the overhang under the inside rim of the dish. I purposely folded the overhang and pinched the ends so that I'd have about 1/2 inch of dough above the rim. This would compensate for any shrinkage in the dough as it bakes. Pierce the surface of the dough with the tines of a fork and line loosely with foil. Fill the bottom with pie weights and bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 10 minutes just until the crust is lightly golden. Take it out of the oven to cool for a few minutes.
To Fill and Bake: Combine the bacon with the leek mixture and arrange in a single layer inside the par baked crust. Add 2/3 of the grated cheese then pour in the whisked egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.