Mushroom And Leek Quiche Recipe

Quiche is one of those classic, crowd-pleasing dishes that every home cook should strive to master. Quiche can be the star of breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner and is infinitely customizable for any occasion. The key to a good quiche is knowing how to achieve a crisp, flaky crust and savory custard filling. In this recipe for mushroom and leek quiche — courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird – you will learn the basics, from crust to filling.

Quiche can be prepared in a variety of pans, including a basic pie dish, round cake, or springform pan. Kinnaird prefers to make her quiche in a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Not only does the finished tart have a nice curb appeal, but this type of pan makes it easy to remove the finished quiche for slicing. Kinnaird likes using an all-butter crust, which is blind-baked before it's filled with the custard and savory ingredients. Getting the ratio of eggs to dairy correct in the filling (1 egg to ½ cup dairy) is also key to avoiding a rubbery or spongy custard. 

To make the quiche crust, you will need all-purpose flour, salt, cold unsalted butter, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and a bit of apple cider vinegar. For the savory part of the filling, you will need a little more butter to saute some cremini mushrooms, leeks, and fresh thyme. The custard is made from whole eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg that brings a hint of warm spice. Fresh goat cheese is crumbled in for a nice, creamy, and tangy flavor.

To prepare the crust, add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.

Add the cold butter and process until the mixture looks like fine meal.

Add the egg, yolk, and vinegar. Process until the mixture comes together to form a dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the dough chills, add the tablespoon of butter to a large saute pan over medium-high heat.

Saute the mushrooms until they release their juices and start to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the leeks to the pan and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add the thyme and salt and saute until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and cool.

Bring the dough back to room temperature for about 20 minutes, unwrap, and place on a floured surface. Have an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom ready.

Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle.

Carefully lift half of the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the tart pan.

Gently press the dough into the pan, folding the excess over the rim and pressing into the sides.

Remove excess dough by rolling over the edges of the pan. Discard the dough scraps.

Use a fork to prick the dough all over the bottom of the shell.

Wrap the tart shell in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Butter one side of a large piece of foil.

Press the foil onto the chilled tart shell, buttered side down.

Cover the foil with dry beans or pie weights.

Bake the shell for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.

Carefully lift the foil from the pan, making sure the beans or weights do not slip onto the shell.

Bake the shell for 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes.

While the shell cools, combine the eggs, cream, milk, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

Place the baked tart shell on a baking sheet.

Spread the cooked leeks and mushrooms evenly over the bottom of the shell.

Sprinkle the goat cheese over the vegetables.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over everything.

Bake the quiche for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and barely starting to brown.

Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Serve the quiche warm or at room temperature.

There are several important steps toward a successful quiche. The first is to chill and rest the dough before rolling it out. Chilling the dough keeps the fat (here, butter) solid so that it sticks less when rolling. Resting allows the gluten in the flour to relax and absorb moisture for less crumbling. Prebaking the quiche shell is the key to preventing a soggy or raw bottom crust. Using dried beans or pie weights over a layer of foil or parchment during baking helps prevent the dough from shrinking. 

The next tip is to have any savory filling ingredients properly prepared. The leeks used in this recipe need to be thoroughly cleaned, as their many layers trap debris. Start by cutting off the stem end and tough green leaves. Next, split the leek lengthwise to create two halves and carefully rinse under running water to flush. Mushrooms also need to be properly handled. Wipe or brush them clean rather than saturating them with water, which leads to soggy fungi. It is best to pre-cook any vegetables or meats you want to include in your quiche so that there is no extra moisture or fat released into the custard during baking. Kinnaird also warns against overbaking. The custard filling should be set, with just a little bit of wiggle when tested. The filling will continue to cook as it is cooling, but an overbaked quiche will be dry.

Quiche is always best the day it is baked, but you can execute several of this recipe's steps in advance. The dough can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for several months. An unbaked shell can also be wrapped in the pan and refrigerated for about 2 days or frozen if preferred. All of the filling components can be pre-cooked, refrigerated, and then assembled in the shell right before baking. If you want to transport a baked quiche, remember that the edges of the crust are quite fragile. Keep the quiche secure in its pan until you arrive at your destination, then transfer it to a plate or serving platter. This mushroom and leek quiche is delicious warm, at room temperature, or even chilled. If you want to reheat individual portions, try gently wrapping them in foil and placing them in a 350 F oven until just heated through.