Cauliflower and Red Onion Quiche

I don’t make traditional quiche. I play around with ideas and look at other vegetable recipes that might lend to a good savory quiche. My husband Joe says this is my best quiche, so I thought I’d share it with you. It is hearty and has just a little bit of spice, which tastes amazing with the richness of the cheese and the buttery crust. It makes for a great dinner and is great hot or cold the next day.

You will need to prepare a pie crust. It is best to bake the crust for 20 minutes at 375 F before preparing the quiche to ensure a crisp crust. Once you place the crust in a 9-inch pie dish, prick the base of it with a fork to prevent it from bubbling. Now, line the dish with parchment and fill it with dry beans. Bake it for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, remove the beans and parchment, and let it cool. I included a crust recipe below the steps for the quiche. The crust recipe has to chill in the fridge for two hours or overnight once made. You can use your favorite crust recipe or purchase a pre-rolled crust at the grocers if you don’t have time to make the crust. If you do have time, this crust is delicious and worth the effort.

To make this bright and savory quiche, preheat the oven to 400 F and grab these items from the fridge and pantry:

• 4 eggs

• 1 1/2 cup half and half

• 2 tablespoon of turmeric (one for the egg mixture and one in the sauteed veggies)

• 5 grinds of black pepper

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 medium red onion (reserve 3 or 4 thin slices for the top of the quiche) diced

• 2 cups of sliced cauliflower florets (1/4“ thick)

• 1/2 a yellow pepper cut into 2” by 1/4”

• 1 or 2 teaspoons of serrano pepper, finely diced (2 if you like things spicier)

• 1 tablespoons preserved lemon, finely diced

• 1 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary

• 1 tablespoon of basil chiffonade (basil cut in thin slices)

• 1 tablespoon fermented garlic or 6 cloves of roasted garlic (optional, it is to place on the top and adds a nice touch)

• 1/3 cup of fine grated parmigiano reggiano

• 1/3 cup of coarsely grated white cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (9 inches or more). Add the diced onions (not the slices) and a pinch of salt and cook over low to medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the onions soften and release aroma. Add the cauliflower and peppers. Continue sauteing the mixture for 4 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the serrao pepper, preserved lemon, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, rosemary, and basil to the pan and saute on high for 1 minute while stirring gently. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool while you prepare the egg mixture.

The sauteed vegetables should still be al dente, so be sure to avoid overcooking.

Break the eggs into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the 1/2 and 1/2, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and 5 good grinds of fresh black pepper to the bowl. Using a fork or a whisk, vigorously beat the egg mixture for a minute to aerate the custard for a light quiche.

Now you are ready to build the quiche in your prebaked crust. First make sure your oven is preheated to 400 F. Start by distributing the cheddar cheese in the bottom of the pie plate. Now spoon the cauliflower mixture evenly over the cheese. Top the cauliflower mixture with the parmigiano reggiano and pour the egg custard evenly over the dish. Take the reserved red onion slices and distribute them over the quiche. I actually toss them into the fry pan with a tad of butter melted butter on medium heat and give them a few turns before adding them to the top of the quiche but you can put them on raw as well. Finally, use a fork to sprinkle fermented garlic sparsely and evenly over the top of the quiche. Place the quiche in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325℉ and bake an additional 45 minutes to an hour, until the quiche is baked through and golden on top. Remove the quiche from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

For the crust, use your favorite recipe or this try this one, which is delicious. This comes from the book, Salt, Acid, Fat, and Heat, which is an amazing reference and has some wonderful recipes. To make two crusts, grab the following ingredients:

• 2 1/4 C all-purpose flour

• 1 Tbs sugar

• Large pinch of salt

• 16 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes

• 1/2 C of ice water

• 1 tsp white vinegar or vodka

Place the first three ingredients in your stand mixer bowl with the paddle mixer and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Freeze the butter and ice water as well (in separate bowls). If you use a food processor or a regular mixer, make sure to freeze the bowl, blade or mixer attachment in the freezer with the flour, sugar, and salt too.

Put the bowl on the mixer and set to the lowest speed. Add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time. Mix until the butter looks like broken walnut pieces. Don’t over mix.

With the mixer running, add the vinegar or vodka and just enough water so that the dough holds together. Immediately stop mixing once you achieve the bonding of the dough. It should take about 1/2 a cup of water. The dough should not crumble apart if you squeeze it. You should be able to break it into a few pieces but it shouldn’t crumble. Add more water to you achieve this texture. Remove from the bowl, form the dough into a ball and divide it into two pieces. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill the one you will use for the quiche for at least two hours or over night. Place the other dough ball in the freezer for your next quiche, just remember to let it defrost overnight in the fridge.

When the dough is chilled, you are ready to roll it out. Tear 4 foot long pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Overlap two of the pieces so they make a square of with twelve inch sides. Place the dough ball in the center of that paper and smash it to form a disc. Place the other two pieces of paper on top of the disc and use your rolling pin or a wine bottle to roll it evenly into a circle about twelve inches in diameter. Remove the top sheets of the paper. Grab a nine inch pie dish and flip the rolled dough carefully onto the dish do it is centered. Carefully peel the paper from the upside of the dough and arrange the dough in the dish so it overlaps the edges. Form you crust and get ready to make the quiche.