What is a Quiche?

A quiche is a tart consisting of a crust filled with eggs, dairy, and savoury fillings like meats, vegetables, and cheese. Though it is now considered a staple of French cooking, the quiche most likely originated in medieval Germany. In fact, the name “quiche” may even be derived from the German word “Kuchen,” meaning cake. This may refer to the use of a more bread-like base, which we have now exchanged for short crust or puff pastry. The quiche we know and love today likely started in eastern France as the Quiche Lorraine, and several variations have spread throughout the years. After World War II, the quiche became popular in England and later spread to North America in the 1950s.

The Perfect Crust

When baking a pie or tart, the goal is to have a crisp, flaky crust that is cooked completely through. This can be difficult to achieve when working with especially wet fillings like a custard. Instead, the result can be a soggy crust that is cooked (or even burnt) on top, but undercooked on the bottom. It’s true that there are very few things as disappointing as a soggy crust, but there are a few things you can do to achieve crisp perfection.

The first step to a successful quiche is blind baking your crust. Blind baking refers to a method in baking when you cook the crust (fully or partially) before adding the filling for your pie. This achieves two things: the cooked crust stands up better to wet fillings, and cooking the crust partially or fully ensures that the crust will be cooked through when your filling is ready. To blind bake a pie crust, prep your crust as normal in the pie dish, then line it with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake. The pie weights will ensure that the crust doesn’t rise and leaves room for your filling. We use dried rice as our pie weights, but dried beans and ceramic pie weights can be used as well. The best part is that all three options are affordable and can be reused. Once your crust is baked, allow it to cool with the pie weights still inside. Then remove the pie weights and put away for later use. Now you can use your crust as normal.

One possible problem when blind baking a pie crust (or even while baking a double-crusted pie like cherry or apple) is that you run the risk of the edges burning while your filling cooks. Since the edges are much thinner and are directly exposed to heat, it will cook at a much faster rate than the rest of the crust when you add your filling. You can avoid this by using a pie shield, which covers the edges of a pie to protect them from heat. You can buy adjustable silicone pie shields, but it’s also easy to make your own. If making your own pie shield, take a piece of foil that can cover the pie, then cut a circle in the center of the square. Now you can place the tin foil ring over the edges of your pie and bake without the fear of scorching them.

The Filling

The filling for a quiche usually consists of eggs, dairy, and other additions like cheese, vegetables, and meat. Quiches are very flexible and a variety of fillings can be used, making it a perfect way to clean out the fridge. However, there are a few things to consider while preparing your filling for your quiche. First, you want to consider your egg to dairy ratio. For a 9-inch pie crust, we like to use 4 eggs and 1 cup of dairy. This will result in a light, silky filling that has a custard-like texture. You can adjust the amounts if you prefer a higher or lower ratio of eggs; however, too much egg will result in a rubbery quiche while too much dairy will prevent the quiche from setting. Typically, the dairy used in a quiche will be milk, cream, or some combination of the two. Milk will result in a lighter filling, while cream will add richness to your quiche. You can also use ingredients like Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese for a higher protein quiche; however, we would recommend thinning these out with milk or cream.

Another step we would recommend when making your filling is cooking your vegetables and meat before adding them to your quiche. One reason for this is that it ensures that your filling ingredients will be cooked through when your quiche is done baking. This is especially important with harder vegetables with broccoli or potatoes, which will typically take longer to cook than eggs. Another reason to cook your vegetables beforehand is to control the amount of liquid in your quiche filling. Vegetables like spinach or mushrooms have a high water content, which will be released when exposed to heat. Mushrooms will shrink to about half the size while spinach will shrink to about 10% of its original volume. That’s a lot of water, and it will all end up in your quiche if it’s not removed before baking, which will result in a weepy, separated filling. We like to use about 2 cups of meat and vegetables (though less also works) and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

The possibilities are endless, so experiment with some different fillings to find your favourite. Some possible fillings include:

• Smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese, and shallots
• Broccoli, red pepper, and feta
• Tomato, basil, and mozzarella
• Turkey, leek, and brie
• Caramelized onion, bacon, and gruyere

How to Make It

Prepare the Crust

Preheat the oven to 375°F as you begin preparing your crust. We used a store bought crust in a tin this time, but if you are making your own, roll out your dough and place it in a greased 9-inch pie plate. Pierce the bottom with a fork to allow steam to escape and crimp the edges with a fork.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over your pie crust and fill it with your pie weights of choice. The parchment paper will allow for easy removal of the weights and prevent them from baking into the crust.

Bake your pie crust at 375°F for 15 minutes. The crust should be browned slightly and partially cooked. Allow your crust to cool completely then remove the pie weights and store for later use.

Prepare the Filling

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and thyme, then cook for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released most of their moisture.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool as you prepare your dairy and eggs. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until everything is well-combined and there are no streaks of unincorporated eggs. Having your eggs and dairy at room temperature can make this easier.

Assemble the Quiche

Spread the mustard evenly over the bottom of the pie crust in a thin layer.

Add your ham, mushrooms, half the shredded cheese, and half the green onions to your pie crust, making sure to spread it evenly.

Add your egg mixture to the pie crust, pouring it over your filling. Top the quiche with the remaining cheese and green onions.

Bake the Quiche

Cover the edges of your quiche with a pie shield. If you are making your own, simply take a piece of tinfoil large enough to cover your quiche, then cut a circle in the middle of it. You should now have about 2 inches of tinfoil to cover the edges of your crust.

Bake the quiche at 375°F until the outside of the filling is set and the centre is slightly jiggly. This took about 25 minutes for us. Remove the quiche from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove your pie shield, slice, then serve.