Mushroom quiche
Executive Pastry Chef Alan Carter
Mission Beach Café, San Francisco
Ingredients
"The best pie dough in the world"
4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 cups butter (15 oz.)
1/2 cup ice-cold water
1 tsp. vinegar
Quiche
1 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lb. oyster mushrooms, cleaned and torn into large pieces
1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, cleaned (if large, cut in half)
1/2 lb. hen of the woods or white mushrooms, cleaned and torn into large pieces
2 tbsp. minced Italian parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. snipped chives
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
Directions
For dough: Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Crumb butter and flour mixture together by hand until it resembles small peas. Add vinegar to water and, using a fork, fluff water into flour mixture until it just comes together. It should still be crumbly. Wrap dough in plastic and let it rest, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days before using. Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick and place in a buttered, fluted tart pan, fold edges up and press excess inside pan.
For quiche: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté shallots, garlic and crushed red pepper in oil and butter mixture for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms (and vegetables such as spinach leaves, if desired) and sauté over high heat until slightly wilted. Add parsley, thyme, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Beat eggs, milk and cream together, then add chives and salt and pepper to taste. Place mushroom mixture into dough-lined pan. Pour egg mixture onto mushrooms and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 45 minutes covered in aluminum foil. Remove foil and continue baking until the middle of the custard is thick and soft, about 15 minutes. Remove quiche from oven and let cool. The residual heat will continue to cook it.
Makes one (9-inch) quiche (2-inch fluted tart pan), Serves 10 to 12