Smoked Gouda Quiche...

I'll be honest, I don't have any introductions, stories or any fun reason to talk about why we made this Spinach, Green Onion and Smoked Gouda Quiche for dinner the other night. I pulled out the recipe simply because I was in a hurry and didn't have time to fuss over what to make this week! Usually I try to sit down and spend a half hour or so every weekend and pick out the menu for the week, but it was unfortunately not a luxury I could afford this past Saturday.

The crust is fairly unique for this quiche - not so much the ingredients, but how it comes together. It also has a few steps to it, so be aware of all the extra time needed. For a typical pastry crust, you'd be mashing, with either your fingers, food processor, a pastry blender or even a fork, several tablespoons of butter (or maybe even lard if your feeling especially frisky) into a mixture of flour and salt. This recipe calls for soft butter, a splash of milk and an egg yolk - nontraditional (or not very), yes, but it is a bit lighter. You'll see that you need to blend the milk and egg yolk together, then add them both very gradually into the butter - don't dump it all in at once or you'll be left with a chunky mess. Pouring it in a tablespoon at a time won't break the butter and you'll be left with a smooth, creamy base.

With the flour added, and mixed enough to just barely combine, the dough will need to chill for about an hour before using it. With the dough cold, but not rock hard, it rolled like a dream for us without any cracking or patching needed. Once fit it into the dish, do note that it has sit in the freezer for several minutes before baking. Why? The butter needs to firm back up after being bashed with the rolling pin - it also helps the crust stay in its intended place. This way, you won't be screaming in horror as you watch the sides of the dough slide down the edge of the pan through the oven door.

Into the baked, cooled crust (and be sure to let it get lightly browned all over before you pull it out of the oven) went the filling of sautéed green onions cooked with a clove of garlic and a generous amount of fresh baby spinach. That combination is then added into a bowl of milk (half-and-half would make for a richer result if you feel the need, but we felt regular milk was fine), eggs, smoked Gouda cheese and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Please don't switch out the Gouda for cheddar or even Swiss cheese - the intensity and bite of the smoky cheese brings this quiche to life.

You can somewhat control the texture of this - if you want the finished dish to be creamier (or maybe even a better way to describe would be custard-y), take it out at the time called for. If, however, you wanted a firmer, almost buoyant texture, leave it in an extra five minutes. It won't dry the filling out by any means, but will produce a more set result. Jeff and I both thought this was excellent, especially considering it is not nearly as laden with fat as you may expect with a quiche - in fact, Jeff has already asked that we put this on the list to make again.

Recipes
Spinach, Green Onion and Smoked Gouda Quiche