Masterclass R ECIPE + T E X T
Denise Marchessault S T Y L ING + PHO T OGR A PH Y
Deb Garlick
French Quiche Holiday celebrations may be a little different this year (like everything else in our lives). Whether you’re “zooming” with family or dining with your close-knit “bubble,” this elegant French quiche makes any occasion a little more special. Served for brunch or a light dinner, quiche offers a welcome change when you’ve had your fill of turkey.
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French quiche is all about the custard. With a texture as delicate as crème caramel, you can’t help but be seduced by its luxurious mouth-feel. This is a quiche that compels you to slow down and savour each bite. Not to be confused with the dense catch-all quiche; while tasty and quick to prepare, the two are not the same.
“It’s almost sexual, a great quiche,” swoons legendary chef Thomas Keller in his cookbook Bouchon. The Michelin-starred chef refers to quiche as a “seductive pie.” If you’re wondering how “sexual” and “quiche” can be strung together in same sentence, follow the baking secrets below and you, too, will be smitten.
• The custard needs to be baked gently at a low
temperature. Because the pastry requires high heat, it’s necessary to pre-cook it before adding the custard. The twice-baked pastry inexplicably turns out perfect, defying all baking logic.
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• Use a cake pan. Those lovely fluted quiche pans,
with the removable bottoms, make beautiful tarts, but they don’t have enough depth for a decadent custard. Bakers sometimes use a metal ring mold or a springform pan, but a regular cake pan, 1½ inches deep, does the trick nicely. A deep pie plate works too, but I prefer the tidy symmetry of a cake pan.
• Don’t over-bake your quiche. It should come from the oven slightly jiggly in the centre; the residual heat will continue to cook it.
• Go easy on the fillings. Less is more when it comes
to a light delicate custard. And layering the ingredients (filling, custard, filling, etc.), rather than tossing them in all at once, will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pie. Quiche can be adapted to nearly any filling, just be sure to use the ratios provided.
• A luscious custard merits a decent pastry, so for
the love of your Cooking Goddess, make it from scratch. I’ve included my favourite pastry recipe, but feel free to use your own. The key to a good pastry dough is minimal handling—and it’s easy to achieve when pastry is rolled between lightly floured parchment paper and plastic wrap (on top). A freezer bag, cut open, even works better than standard plastic wrap—pastry simply doesn’t stick to it.
• You need patience. It takes hours for a delicate
quiche to set. And, like most custards, it should be refrigerated overnight before serving.
My celebration quiche recipe combines sweet crab with smoky Black Forest ham in a custard flecked with sweet peppers. And, because every quiche deserves a partner, serve with a light garden salad. Enjoy with a crisp sparkling BC wine for a memorable, and not too heavy, holiday meal.