July 04, 2013
Fabulous Crab, Asparagus & Feta Quiche
made with
Pura Vida! Famous Original Recipe
What's not to like about a really good quiche, right? Flaky crust, rich ingredients, a perfect mix of flavors. Here's a great one incorporating our Famous Original Recipe.
Note: If you're not into making your own crust ~ or if you just don't have time ~ this recipe works just fine with a store-bought one.
Enjoy!
Yields 1 9-inch quiche; serves 6 to 8
For the crust
4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4-1/2 oz. (9 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces
1 large egg yolk
2 Tbs. cold whole milk
For the filling
8 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup cooked, sliced asparagus (steam, roast, or grill, then slice into 1/2-inch pieces)
1/3 cup cooked crabmeat (cut or pull into bite-size pieces)
2-4 teaspoons Pura Vida! Famous Original Recipe, or to taste)
Make and blind bake the crust
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the flour is no longer bright white, the dough holds together when you press a clump with your fingers, and there are still flakes of butter the size of pecan halves throughout, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are pea-size pieces of butter throughout.)
In a small bowl, whisk the yolk and milk, then add it all at once to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed (or with a fork) until the dough barely comes together, 15 to 30 seconds in the mixer, longer by hand. The dough will look shaggy at this point.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and gather it into a mound. Starting at the top of the mound and using the heel of your hand, smear a section of the dough away from you, sliding it down the side and along the work surface until most of the butter pieces are smeared into the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough in sections.
With a bench knife, gather the dough together, flatten it into a disk about 1 inch thick, and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
On a well-floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 12-inch-wide, 1/8-inch-thick circle. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9- to 10-inch quiche dish, or a 9- to 9-1/2-inch pie plate. Without stretching it, press the dough gently into the bottom and sides of the dish. Use scissors or a paring knife to trim the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang.
If using a quiche dish, fold the overhang into the dish and press the sides up to create an edge that's about 1/4 inch above the rim of the dish. If using a pie plate, fold the overhang under itself and flatten it slightly to completely cover the rim of the pie plate. Crimp decoratively.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the dough to relax before baking.
Position a rack in the center of the oven, put a large rimmed baking sheet on it, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Crumple a 12-inch square of parchment, flatten it, then line the crust with it. Fill the crust to the top with dried beans, gently pressing them against the sides. Bake on the hot baking sheet until the edge is a deep golden-brown and the bottom no longer looks raw (carefully pull back the parchment to check; if using a glass pie plate, you can see if the underside is golden), 40 to 45 minutes; protect the edge with a pie shield or ring of foil if it's getting too dark. Remove the parchment and beans (and pie shield if necessary) and cool on a rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Make the filling and bake the quiche
In a medium bowl or large liquid measure, whisk together the yolks, cream, milk, chives, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Put the blind-baked crust on the rimmed baking sheet and scatter the feta, asparagus, crabmeat, and red onion over the bottom, being sure they are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the Pura Vida! Famous Original Recipe on top of the ingredients. Whisk the custard and slowly pour it into the crust, taking care not to shuffle the add-ins around too much.
Cover the edge of the crust with a pie shield or a ring of foil to keep it from browning too much. Carefully transfer the quiche on the baking sheet to the oven and bake at 325 degrees F until the custard feels set to the touch in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. It should be golden-brown and slightly puffed and should not slosh when you jiggle it.
Let cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature. Or, for the best-looking slices, cool the quiche completely, then refrigerate, slice when cold, and reheat.
Make-Ahead Tips: The dough may be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If storing for more than 1 day, wrap it in another layer of plastic. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
The unbaked crust can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks. If frozen, let the crust stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
The quiche can be made and baked up to 2 days ahead. Once cooled, tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To serve, cut the quiche into slices, then reheat in a 350-degree F oven, edge covered with a pie shield, until warmed through, 20 to 25 minutes.
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