Queen Of Quiche ? Swiss Chard, Leek & Gruyere Quiche

Ahh Brunch!  It is a special thing.  It encompasses a little of everything – a little breakfast, a little lunch, and a little cocktail hour.  The sun is shining (at least here in California), the birds chirping, and the oven baking.  How can you complain?  You can’t!

Both Chefanie Wambach and I had just spent a good portion of the last year traveling the world.  After months without kitchens I think both of us were itching to get back into the swing of things.  Upon our reunion she came to me with a pretty damn comprehensive list of things she wanted to cook. Whether she had been craving them or having tasted them in her travels, we have alot of work to do.   However, one thing she had written down was quiche.  So we went at it. Check that one off the list!

At first we didn’t realize what a long process it was.  From making the dough from scratch to pre-baking and post-baking, cooling, to resting, it took us a good 5 hours.  But don’t let that discourage you!  It is well worth the effort and time.  And your guests (as ours were) will be impressed!

Swiss Chard, Leek & Gruyere Quiche

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Directions

1.  Make the Tart Dough (see instructions at the link)

2.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off any excess flour; fit dough into a 2-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing it into the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough evenly with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 20 minutes.

3.  Preheat Oven to 375

4.  Line the tart dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

** Note – we didn’t have pie weights so we used Lentils.  They were ok, beans would have worked better. The heavier the better.

5.   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1 egg and flour on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining 9 eggs and continue mixing until well blended.

6.  Place creme fraiche in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; add milk and continue whisking until well combined. Add to mixer along with salt, pepper, and thyme; mix until well combined. Strain mixture into a large bowl through a fine mesh sieve.

7.  Saute Leeks until golden

8.  Tightly pack Swiss chard leaves, leeks and cheese into prepared tart shell.

9.  Pour over egg mixture until tart shell is full (you may not need to use all of the egg mixture).

10.  Bake 20 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees, and continue baking until filling is slightly firm, rather than liquid, and crust is a deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer quiche to a wire rack to cool until set, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, cover quiche with aluminum foil and bake in an oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.