Dish of the Week: Asparagus, Leek and Gruyere Quiche
Hi, Australians love their pies and I have never seen them come in so many shapes and forms as they have down here. They will even go as far as putting up slogans outside their cafe's claiming to have the best or biggest pie on offer in Australia, some have the right to claim this whilst others perhaps should have thought twice before boasting something they simply cannot deliver on.
My husband refers to anything that has a pie shape to be a pie, and refuses to use the word quiche, as he claims that is just being silly and snobbish about your food. This has led to some interesting conversations, in which people have tried to explain the difference between the two, but there never seems to be a uniform answer. Being a Norwegian where we don't have a strong tradition for either quiche or pie (if they are not viewed the same), I try to be quiet and just listen to the arguments. But I have to say that it has left me intrigued, and a quick search on the Internet highlights that it's not just me who is looking for an answer on this one..
If you look at the basic ingredients for a savoury pie and a quiche, they are pretty much made with the same key ingredients: eggs, crust/pastry, ham, vegetables etc, but I think the key difference is in the presentation of it. What Australian's call a pie is often fully covered with crust, whilst a quiche is served in an open shortcrust pastry case. Anyway, I will stop talking about definitions, and share this week's recipe with you (originally from Martha Stewart), but if you have an opinion on what constitutes a pie and a quiche feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this recipe.
Preparations: 15 minutes, bake for 50-60 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek (white and light green parts only) halved and thinly sliced and then well washed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
4 large eggs
Ground nutmeg
1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese
Half a packet of Careme sour cream shortcrust pastry
- How to Make Asparagues, Leek and Gruyere Quiche
In a frying pan (or skillet if you have one) melt butter over medium heat, add chopped leek and asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is crisp and tender (approximately 6-8 minutes) and let it cool.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, half a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. If you don't make your own short crust pastry and cheat like I did with purchasing a pre-made one, put the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to shape it to fit the rim. Lightly flour the rim (this will ensure that the pastry does not stick to the rim after cooking), and add the shortcrust pastry and use your hands and fingers to shape the pastry in the rim.
Sprinkle the bottom of the pie with cheese, add the leek and asparagus and pour the egg mixture on top. For purely decorative reasons I added the top ends of the asparagus after the egg mixture.
Bake in the oven until centre of quiche is just set (50-60 minutes), and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. (The leftover quiche serves as a great lunch option the day after, just let the quiche cool and then refrigerate for up to a day).
Serve the Quiche with a Fresh Garden Salad
Linnemoren
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