Over-the-Top Mushroom Quiche
I love quiche, but it has to be several inches high and made right. This high-rising version, which is adapted from a recipe in his Bouchon cookbook, just might be the perfect one, and its well worth the time it takes to prepare. Layering the sauteed mushrooms and shredded cheese ensures that theyre nicely distributed throughout the silky egg custard.
I love quiche, but it has to be several inches high and made right. This high-rising version, which is adapted from a recipe in his Bouchon cookbook, just might be the perfect one, and its well worth the time it takes to prepare. Layering the sauteed mushrooms and shredded cheese ensures that theyre nicely distributed throughout the silky egg custard.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 pound oyster mushrooms stems trimmed and large caps halved or quartered
- 1 pound white mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 small shallots minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme chopped
- 3/4 cup shredded comtã© or emmental cheese (2 1/2 ounces)
- buttery pastry shell
- 6 large eggs lightly beaten
- freshly grated nutmeg
- Carbohydrate 7.13618239609619 g
- Cholesterol 300.205833371337 mg
- Fat 17.0198989958688 g
- Fiber 1.28003733250643 g
- Protein 12.1380819031559 g
- Saturated Fat 7.97491207217664 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (204g)
- Sodium 133.908179236912 mg
- Sugar 5.85614506358976 g
- Trans Fat 1.85160680926508 g
- Calories 226 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a very large skillet, heat the oil.
- Add the oyster and white mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to moderate.
- Add the butter, shallots and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about 12 minutes longer.
- Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
- Scatter 1/4 cup of the cheese and half of the mushrooms evenly over the bottom of the Buttery Pastry Shell.
- In a blender, mix half each of the milk, cream and eggs and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg at high speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Pour the custard into the pastry shell.
- Top with another 1/4 cup of cheese and the remaining mushrooms.
- Make a second batch of custard with the remaining milk, cream and eggs, plus the same amount of salt, pepper and nutmeg as before and pour into the shell.
- Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top.
- Bake the quiche for about 1 1/2 hours, or until richly browned on top and the custard is barely set in the center.
- Let cool in the pan until very warm.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the pastry shell flush with the top of the pan.
- Carefully lift the springform pan ring off the quiche.
- Cut the mushroom quiche into wedges, transfer to plates and serve warm.
Heavy cream carries the structure of this substantial filling, providing the high fat content necessary to support a towering dairy-and-egg mixture without curdling during a long 325-degree bake. Utilizing fresh oyster and white mushrooms rather than canned varieties prevents excess water from flooding the crust, ensuring the high-heat sauté step successfully drives off internal moisture before assembly. Browning the fungi thoroughly concentrates their savory compounds, a transformation that water-logged preserved alternatives cannot achieve due to pre-cooking and packing liquid.
Blending the dairy and whole eggs at high speed for precisely one minute incorporates maximum air, creating a frothy matrix that bakes into a remarkably silky crumb. Layering this aerated custard alternately with shredded Comté and the cooked mushrooms guarantees even distribution from top to bottom, preventing heavy solids from sinking into a dense mass at the base of the pastry.
Swapping the specified Comté for standard Gruyère yields a comparable melt and nutty profile, though younger Swiss cheeses will introduce excess moisture that alters the final set of the custard. Whole milk must be retained rather than skim alternatives if substituting dairy fractions, maintaining the exact fat ratios required for proper coagulation.
Cooling the baked pastry until very warm allows the interior structure to stabilize sufficiently for clean slicing with a serrated knife. Releasing the springform ring only after trimming the crust flush prevents tearing the delicate edges of the tall shell.
