Alsatian Quiche Recipes

ALSATIAN QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees for the quiche.
• In a bowl, beat eggs with a whisk; add the cream and beat again; add the grated onion and beat yet again.
• Sprinkle bacon in the bottom of the shell; sprinkle parmesan over the top of that.
• Pour cream mixture over all.
• Dot the top with small bits of butter.
• Place the pan on a cookie sheet or other drip pan and into a preheated oven.
• Bake at 350 degrees until domed and light brown.
• Cool 1/2 hour before cutting and serving.

ALSATIAN QUICHE WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Unroll the pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie dish. Flute the edges or press with a fork to crimp the edges.
• Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pie crust and fill with pie weights (dried beans work, too!). Bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. This is called par-baking the crust.
• Meanwhile, place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until crisp, flipping once, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it gently with your fingers.
• Add the butter to the bacon fat. Add the onions, plus ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Lower heat to medium low and cover the pan. Continue to cook the onions, uncovering and stirring every 2-3 minutes until the onions are medium brown and very soft-about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the eggs, half & half, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Place the cooled onions in the bottom of the par-baked pie crust. Top with the bacon. Pour the egg mixture over the top and top with the shredded Gruyere.
• Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven until the quiche is beginning to turn light brown in spots, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving or cool completely and serve at room temperature.

ALSATIAN CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square, then transfer to a large baking sheet.
• Blend cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. (Bacon should be tender, not crisp.) Remove from heat.
• Spread cheese mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Scatter bacon and onion on top, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 36 pieces and serve warm.

ALSACE ONION TART

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 4 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with pastry scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round and fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang over pastry and press against side to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry is set and pale golden along rim, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer shell to a rack. (Leave oven on.)
• Prepare filling while shell bakes:
• Cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain and pour off bacon fat. Add butter to skillet and cook onions with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover surface of onions with a round of parchment or wax paper (or cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid) and continue to cook, lifting parchment to stir frequently, until onions are very soft and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in bacon, then remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
• Whisk together crème fraîche, eggs, nutmeg, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then stir in onions.
• Fill and bake tart:
• Pour filling into tart shell, spreading onions evenly, and bake until filling is set and top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TARTE FLAMBEE (ALSATIAN BACON & ONION TART)

Steps:

• Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until cooked but not crisp and fat has rendered out, about 8 minutes. Drain in a strainer; reserve the fat.
• Place skillet back over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Cook briefly just until they lose their raw edge and soften up slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon or 2 of bacon fat if pan seems too dry. Remove skillet from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Mix fromage blanc, creme fraiche, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl.
• Place 1 ball of pizza dough on a well-floured surface. Flatten and roll out to a 10- or 12-inch thin circle. Transfer to a cold cast iron pan. Heat over medium-high heat to pre-cook the bottom of the crust. As dough heats and bubbles appear, deflate them with the tines of a fork so crust ends up thin and crisp (not chewy). When bottom is nicely browned and just about to start getting charred, 5 to 7 minutes, remove from heat. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Spread a generous amount of cheese mixture over the crust. Top evenly with some onions and then the bacon. Broil 5 or 6 minutes until edges are browned and starting to lift. Repeat for remaining tartes.