Tips on Making Quiche Dishes
Quiche is a savory pie with a custard filling that is commonly flavored with cheese, meats, vegetables, spices and herbs. It is an appropriate main dish for breakfast, brunch or lunch or side dish for dinner. To turn out perfectly, there are certain steps that need to be taken in preparing the crust and filling. Does this Spark an idea?
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Egg and Dairy Proportions
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For the custard filling to set up properly, the egg to dairy ratio must be correct. If there is too much dairy, the eggs will not create sufficient proteins for the mixture to thicken. Use 1/2 cup dairy for each large egg in the filling. For example, a quiche with four eggs in the custard needs 2 cups of milk, cream or half-and-half added to it. Using low fat or non-fat dairy products will make the filling watery and less flavorful.
Cheese Quantity
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The cheese in quiche adds flavor, texture and substance. For a traditional four-egg quiche, a cup of shredded cheese is recommended. You can use more for extra flavor but using less than a cup results in a light filling that lacks body. Any kind of cheese can be used and the quantity can be slightly reduced if you use heavy cream that adds the needed fat for cohesiveness.
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The Crust
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You can successfully use a store-bought frozen or refrigerated pie crust if you do not want to make one from scratch. The crust must be blind baked and cooled before adding the filling to keep it crisp and dry. This requires filling the empty crust with uncooked dry beans or pie weights or pressing heavy-duty aluminum foil into the pan and baking it until it is almost done. The weights or foil prevent the crust from bubbling up during baking. After it has cooled, brush the inside with a beaten egg white to form a seal that prevents the filling from making the crust soggy during baking.
Baking the Quiche
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Place the quiche on a baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven. The sheet will catch spills. It is hard to tell when a quiche is done just by looking at it, so use a quick read cooking thermometer to test it. Insert the probe halfway into the center of the quiche and remove it from the oven when it reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures will result in a tough quiche. If you do not have a thermometer, gentle shake the quiche during the last part of baking and remove it when the center still jiggles; it will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven. Check the quiche periodically during baking and cover the crust edges with foil or a pie crust shield if they are browning too quickly.
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