This is dreamy. Which reminds me, I don’t make quiche often enough. It’s not a 30-minute meal for sure, but you can have your crust ready and pre-baked in advance, and fill it the day you mean to serve it. Being presented with such a beautiful dish, I can’t think of many people who wouldn’t appreciate it.
A traditional quiche crust doesn’t include cheese in the crust. But cheese adds taste, saltiness and an incredible crunch. I added bacon in the filling, which I love but for me the best part of this quiche are the zucchini ribbons. Just swirl them randomly or make spiral roses. Whatever you do they add so much to the presentation, making this dish so beautiful to look at. As for the taste, I already said it: dreamy.
Quiche with Cheesy Crust and Zucchini
This is dreamy. Which reminds me, I don’t make quiche often enough. It’s not a 30-minute meal for sure, but you can have your crust ready and pre-baked in advance, and fill it the day you mean to serve it. Being presented with such a beautiful dish, I can’t think of many people who wouldn’t appreciate it.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 170 grams unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cheddar cheese grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Tbs ice cold water
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar wine vinegar is also fine
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
For the filling
- 6 slices bacon cut in bite size pieces
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 cup “kefalotyri” or “pecorino” cheese grated
- 1-2 zucchini cut in ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup cream
- Some grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the crust: Cut the butter in small cubes and place in the freezer while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Butter and flour a 25 cm tart pan with removable bottom (you can also use a spring-form cake pan).
- This dough is very easily prepared in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Put the flour, cheddar and salt in the bowl and pulse a few times to mix. Add half the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Use a fork to stir the mixture a bit. That way you will have a better idea of the consistency. Add the remaining butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas.
- Add the water and vinegar. Pulse a few times to mix. Pinch mixture with your fingers. If it holds together then the dough is done. If mixture is too dry and doesn’t hold when pinched add a couple of teaspoons water and pulse again. Just have in mind that the dough will not form in the food processor and will only hold when pinched with your fingers.
- Spread a piece of plastic wrap on your working area. Tip the dough mixture on the plastic wrap. Fold the plastic warp, pushing everything together to form a dough and shape into a ball. Flatten the ball to a thick disk and make sure its nicely covered with the plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 210° C. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on your working area. Place the dough in the centre and roll to a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your tart pan. If dough sticks on your rolling pin, sprinkle with flour.
- Put your hands under the greaseproof paper and flip it over and into your tart pan. Trim excess and cover any tears or gaps. Put a piece of greaseproof paper in the centre of your dough. Add rice, lentils on beans to weigh it down. This will keep your dough from rising in the centre while pre-baking. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove paper and whatever you used for weight. Prick the base of the dough with a fork, being careful not to make large holes or prick all the way through the dough. Use a foil ring to cover the edges of the tart to prevent over browning. Bake for 15-20 minutes longer until crust is golden and cooked.
- Lightly beat the egg white with a small whisk. As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, while its still piping hot, brush the base and sides with the egg white. The egg white will set and seal the crust so that the filling doesn’t leak when you pour it in. If you think that the egg white didn’t set completely, return crust to the hot oven for a minute or so to set it. At this stage you can keep the crust at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Make the filling: Preheat oven to 175° C. Sweat the bacon in a small pan over medium heat, to render the fat. Don’t crisp the bacon, it should remain soft. Remove bacon from the pan into a bowl. In the same pan add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook stirring until soft.
- Assemble the quiche: Put cooked bacon and onion on the base of your pre-baked crust. Sprinkle over half the grated cheese. Put the zucchini ribbons on top making random twists.
- In a bowl beat eggs, milk and cream. Add the grated nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
- Place your quiche on an oven tray. Carefully pour the eggs/milk/cream mixture in the tart crust making sure you are filling all the gaps. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Transfer oven tray with quiche in the preheated oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until filling is set. If you think that the crust edges are overbrowing add the foil ring.
- Let quiche cool completely to room temperature before removing from the pan. Serve with a nice, leafy salad.
