Somehow I stumbled on a flawless recipe for broccoli quiche. Each bite of this quiche was tender and silky, studded with broccoli. Fresh garlic, cayenne and nutmeg add some bold flavor to the richness of the egg custard. The aged cheddar sprinkled over the top creates a deep golden crust and makes for a stunning presentation.
Alongside, I made Martha Stewart’s elegant and delicious hashbrown cakes. If you’re a fan of PEZZO, you know about my affinity for individualized recipes. Many common recipes can be transformed, simply by baking them in a muffin tin, instead of a baking pan or casserole dish. I used this technique to make stuffing balls for our Thanksgiving dinner party, and everyone got their own coveted crispy crust. This innovative recipe caramelizes a slice of red onion at the bottom of the tin as the hashbrowns bake. The result is basically a savory upside-down cake with a sweet and sticky onion topping.
Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche
from Epicurious
Ingredients
All-Butter Pastry Dough
10 oz (1-inch wide) broccoli florets
2 large garlic cloves
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne
5 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1. Preheat oven to 375° with rack in the middle. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit dough into pie plate, letting excess hang over edge. Fold overhang inward and press against side of pie plate to reinforce edge. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Line pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights (I don’t have pie weights, so I placed to heavy ramekins in the center). Bake until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights, then bake shell until deep golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Put pie plate on a baking sheet. Leave oven on.
3. While shell bakes, cook broccoli in a 3-quart pot of boiling salted water 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop cooking, then pat dry.
4. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a generous pinch of salt. Whisk together garlic paste, eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, cayenne, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl until smooth.
5. Pour filling into pie shell and add broccoli, then sprinkle with cheeses. Bake quiche until custard is just set, 45 to 50 minutes. (Center will tremble slightly; filling will continue to set as it cools.) Cool at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
Potato-n-Onion Cakes
from Martha Stewart
makes 6
Ingredients
2 tblsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more for tin
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tblsp packed dark-brown sugar
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 6 sprigs for tin
1 small red onion, sliced into six 1/4-inch-thick rounds
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Generously butter a large (six 1-cup) muffin tin. Sprinkle each cup with salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp sugar; drizzle each cup with 1/2 tsp of each vinegar. Put a rosemary sprig in each cup, and cover with an onion round; set aside.
2. Toss potatoes with chopped rosemary and egg yolk in a medium bowl; season with pepper and 2 tsp salt. Divide among cups; dot with butter.
3. Bake until potatoes are tender and well-browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each cup to loosen; invert and serve.
>Yum. My mom says you can use pennies as pie weights although to me that sounds unsanitary.