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Mushroom Gruyère Quiche

Source of Recipe

"Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"Love 'em or hate 'em, people tend to have strong feelings about mushrooms. I am firmly in the love 'em camp, especially when it comes to gourmet mushrooms, like shiitakes, oysters, and porcini. They have an earthy, umami flavor and a meaty texture, and they're a great way to add bulk to vegetarian dishes, like a quiche. For this recipe, it's nice to use a variety of mushrooms; you can usually find a packaged 'gourmet' or 'chef's sampler' blend in the produce department at the supermarket. Don't feel guilty about using a store-bought pie crust. A homemade crust is time-consuming to make, and to me, the best part of a quiche is the filling. With a good-quality frozen crust, you can whip up a delicious quiche with very little effort—perfect for a filling yet light-ish weeknight meal. Just be sure to buy a deep-dish crust; a regular pie shell is not deep enough to hold all the filling."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 (9-inch) deep-dish frozen pie crust (shell)
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ â…” pound mushrooms, stemmed and diced (preferably an assortment of shiitake, oyster, and porcini)
â—¦ â…“ cup finely chopped shallot (from 1 medium shallot)
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
â—¦ 4 large eggs
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
â—¦ â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ Pinch of ground nutmeg
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) finely shredded Gruyère cheese


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400° F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and let thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes.

Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven) and bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it deflates.) Set the crust aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.

In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon butter, the shallots, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the thyme. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, cayenne, nutmeg, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt; whisk until evenly combined. Spread half the mushroom mixture over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with all the Gruyère and then the remaining mushroom mixture. Pour the egg-cream mixture over the top.

Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the custard is set. Serve hot or warm.

Serves 4 to 6



• Heads Up:
Make sure you use the small holes on your grater to finely grate the Gruyère. If it's not finely grated enough, it won't fully melt.

• Make-Ahead / Freezer-Friendly Instructions:
The quiche can be fully prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, after the quiche has cooled to room temperature, wrap it securely with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil, making sure to fully seal all the edges. Thaw the frozen quiche in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 300° F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.

• Sourcing Savvy:
If you purchase your mushrooms already stemmed and sliced, you'll need about ½ pound or 3 cups.