When you're looking for a brunch that's beautiful, delicious, and can be made ahead, what comes into your mind? Did you say Quiche?
Quiche is a savory custard pie that has been gracing our tables since the '80s and '90s. This famous pie has delicious mix-ins, including smoked salmon, cheese, and herbs—perfect for a weekend brunch.
As rich as its flavor is, Quiche also has a rich history dating back to the Roman era. This classic savory pie was first called Patina— which describes a broad and shallow dish used in Ancient Rome.
Even though Quiche's first glimpse was back in the Roman era, modern recipes for Quiche have evolved from medieval Germany. According to food historians, this go-to brunch dish was first concocted in the kingdom of Lothringen in Germany. It was called 'quiche Lorraine'—an open pie with egg, cream custard, and smoked bacon filling.
Later the "open pie" gained popularity in France. The French then added their own twist by adding cheese, which was soon renamed 'Lorraine.' Since then, it grew, and other countries started to add their own flavor to it.
In the United States, Quiche is a popular easy to make breakfast dish. However, as time evolved, Americans started adding their own take to it—using chicken, beef, spinach, and more. Today, Quiche isn't only for breakfast. It's fantastic for lunch, dinner, parties, and so much more that can be served in many ways with many different accompaniments.
In this recipe, we use a delicious combination of smoked salmon, leek and truffle, with a fresh Meyer lemon salad on the side. Though the crust takes some pre-planning, it's a simple go-to brunch recipe to impress.
Pastry weights or dried beans (for weighting the crust)
Directions 📝
The Night Before
Place the flour, kosher salt, and butter into your refrigerator for at least one hour to chill.
Once chilled, set aside ¼ cup of flour for bench flour. Ready ⅓ cup ice-cold water.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the kosher salt and remaining flour.
Dice 1 stick plus 4 tablespoons of butter and add it into the bowl with the flour and salt.
Use your hands to rub together until only small pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
Very gently mix the ⅓ cup ice water (without the ice!) into the bowl until a dough forms.
Remove the dough from the bowl and fold twice. Lightly dust with flour and wrap with plastic wrap. Keep in your refrigerator until three hours before you plan to cook (resting the dough prevents it from shrinking).
3 Hours Before Cooking
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Divide the dough in half and roll out each half into a 10” circle, making sure your dough is at least one inch larger than the pie tins.
Very gently transfer the dough into the pie tins.
Cut a large round of parchment paper and lay on top of the pie dough. Fill with the baking beans (these are essential during baking because they maintain the dough’s shape).
Bake, rotating half way through, until the crust is golden brown and delicious, about 45 minutes.
Remove the baking beans and return to the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes. Set aside your blind-baked shells to cool.
How to Make
Ensure your oven is set to 350F.
Wash and slice the leek. In a small saute pan over medium heat, stir together a little butter with the sliced leeks and a pinch of Balinese Truffle Salt until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Dice the smoked salmon. Chop half of the Truffle Carpaccio.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, chopped Truffle Carpaccio, and a pinch of Balinese Truffle Salt until frothy. This is the custard base.
Place the blind baked pie shells onto a sheet tray.
Lay the diced salmon and leeks along the bottom of the pie shells and the custard base.
Transfer to the oven and bake, rotating half way through until nicely browned on top and the eggs barely quiver when shaken, about 50-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the Meyer lemon vinaigrette, zest and juice the lemon. Peel and mash the garlic clove.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, mashed garlic, 1 teaspoon of water, and a pinch of Balinese Truffle Salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify.
In another large mixing bowl, toss the greens together and set aside.
Once the quiche is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
Meanwhile, dress the greens very lightly with the Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
Plate up the finished dish with a little side salad, top with some shaved Parmesan cheese, and place a slice of that beautiful smoked salmon quiche alongside. Finish that delicious quiche with a few slices of Truffle Carpaccio. Enjoy an amazing brunch!
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