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We wanted to make the perfect quiche. To make the perfect quiche,
we had to understand a quiche—the art and science that goes into
this perfect quiche. We went to our text books, we read dozens of
recipes, and then started making quiches—over and over again.
Finally, we felt like we had mastered the perfect quiche.
We extracted what we learned into a basic set of rules for quiche
and a standard recipe. Using these basic rules and our standard
recipe you can make your own recipes, varying over and over the
different meats, vegetables, or spices you choose for your
creation.
Here are the basic rules:
Use 1/2 cup dairy for each large egg.
Use 1/4 cup grated cheese for each egg. (You may use less cheese
if you desire but we feel this is about right for both taste and
mouth feel.)
Use 3/4 teaspoon salt for a four-egg quiche.
Use about 1 cup of added meats and vegetables for a four-egg
quiche. (This is a rule of thumb only and may vary depending on
your tastes and the ingredients used.)
Bake until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees but
not more than 185 degrees. This typically takes about 45
minutes in 375 degree oven for a four-egg quiche but may vary
according to the ingredients and pans used. A thermometer is
the only way to accurately tell if the quiche is done.
And here is the basic quiche recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pie crust shell
4 large eggs
2 cups half and half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon seasonings (optional)
1 cup prepared vegetables or meat
1 cup grated Swiss or cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the oven rack on the
lower 1/3.
Form the crust in a nine-inch pan, preferably a silver or light
colored pan.
Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and
seasonings.
Stir in the meat and vegetables and grated cheese. Pour the
filling into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake until the internal temperature of the filling is at least
165 degrees but not more that 185 degrees (about 45 minutes).
Baker’s notes: Most vegetables and meats need to be precooked.
Vegetables need to well-drained so that water does not leak into
the quiche and interfere with the coagulation of eggs. Some
vegetables, such as mushrooms, need to be well cooked to remove
excess moisture.
One cup of cheese produces a cheesy quiche. Many recipes call
for less than that.
For a richer quiche, use cream instead of half and half. Milk
can be used and is especially satisfactory in cheese-rich
quiches.
The traditional seasoning is nutmeg. Nutmeg is strong enough
that only 1/8 teaspoon is used. Paprika, thyme, basil, oregano,
and taco seasoning are other seasonings that can be considered.
To bake the perfect quiche, you will need a good kitchen
thermometer. Take 30% off our best thermometer when you enter
“info5” at checkout.
Dennis Weaver is the author of How to Bake, a 250 page baking
book available free online.
The Prepared Pantry sells over 50 bread machine mixes,
ingredients, and kitchen supplies.
Copyright The Prepared Pantry and Dennis Weaver, 2008. Used with permission.
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