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.
Gather the mushroom and leek quiche ingredients
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.
Step 1: Add flour and salt to a food processor
To prepare the crust, add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
Step 2: Add butter and process
Add the cold butter and process until the mixture looks like fine meal.
Step 3: Add liquids and process to form a dough
Add the egg, yolk, and vinegar. Process until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
Step 4: Wrap dough in plastic and chill
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 5: Melt butter in a pan
While the dough chills, add the tablespoon of butter to a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
Step 6: Saute mushrooms
Saute the mushrooms until they release their juices and start to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Step 7: Add leeks
Add the leeks to the pan and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
Step 8: Add thyme and salt
Add the thyme and salt and saute until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and cool.
Step 9: Place dough on floured surface
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.
Step 10: Roll out dough
Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle.
Step 11: Transfer dough to tart pan
Carefully lift half of the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the tart pan.
Step 12: Press the dough into the pan
Gently press the dough into the pan, folding the excess over the rim and pressing into the sides.
Step 13: Remove excess dough with a rolling pin
Remove excess dough by rolling over the edges of the pan. Discard the dough scraps.
Step 14: Prick the dough with a fork
Use a fork to prick the dough all over the bottom of the shell.
Step 15: Wrap the shell and freeze
Wrap the tart shell in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Step 16: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Step 17: Butter a piece of foil
Butter one side of a large piece of foil.
Step 18: Cover shell with the foil
Press the foil onto the chilled tart shell, buttered side down.
Step 19: Cover foil with beans or pie weights
Cover the foil with dry beans or pie weights.
Step 20: Bake quiche shell
Bake the shell for 20 minutes.
Step 21: Remove the shell from oven and reduce heat
Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
Step 22: Remove beans and foil
Carefully lift the foil from the pan, making sure the beans or weights do not slip onto the shell.
Step 23: Finish baking the shell
Bake the shell for 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 24: Combine the filling ingredients
While the shell cools, combine the eggs, cream, milk, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
Step 25: Place the shell on a baking sheet
Place the baked tart shell on a baking sheet.
Step 26: Add leeks and mushrooms to the shell
Spread the cooked leeks and mushrooms evenly over the bottom of the shell.
Step 27: Add the goat cheese
Sprinkle the goat cheese over the vegetables.
Step 28: Pour in the egg mixture
Pour the egg mixture evenly over everything.
Step 29: Bake the quiche
Bake the quiche for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and barely starting to brown.
Step 30: Remove quiche from the oven and cool
Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Step 31: Slice and serve the quiche
Serve the quiche warm or at room temperature.
What are some tips and tricks for preparing mushroom and leek quiche?
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.
Can mushroom and leek quiche be prepared in advance?
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.
Mushroom And Leek Quiche Recipe
This recipe offers detailed, step-by-step guidance on crafting the perfect quiche shell, and it builds out the filling with aromatic mushrooms and leeks.
Ingredients
- For the tart shell
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- For the filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups sliced cremini or white button mushrooms
- 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 ounces plain goat cheese, crumbled
Directions
- 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.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 476 |
| Total Fat | 35.7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 184.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 28.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.3 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.7 g |
| Sodium | 397.5 mg |
| Protein | 11.3 g |
