Pepperoni and Bacon Quiche

I  noticed in gatherings that pie is always a big hit. It doesn’t matter what kind of pie – apple, pecan, walnut, lemon, chicken, beef, tuna, etc. So, I decided to finally try baking a Quiche – a savory pie for our weekend family dinner. I am always drawn to the elegance and savory flavor of Quiche but I never had the guts to make it. Maybe it was because of the seemingly complexity of the recipe or the effort that goes into preparing it. Well, whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter. I decided to conquer my fear. No guts, no glory!

I used The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, The New Classics’ Tart Dough, page 586, a reference. I followed her Tart Dough recipe and I kinda improvised for the filling by adding additional flavorings.

Tart Dough

Makes one 11-inch

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp coarse salt

¼ cup coarsely chopped chives, rosemary, or thyme (optional)

9 Tbsp (1 1/8 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten

3 Tbsp ice water

Instructions:

A. Preparing the dough

Process the flour, salt, and herbs (if using) in a food processor until combined.

Add the butter, and process just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk together the egg mixture and the water in a small bowl.

With the processor running, pour in the egg mixture;

process until the dough starts to come together.

Shape the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

 

B. Rolling and Baking the dough (still from Martha)

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into ¼ inch thick. Cut out a 13-inch circle from the dough. Press the dough circle on the bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim the dough flush with the top edge of the pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze until firm about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line the tart shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to feel firm on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights; continue baking until the crust is pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

 

Filling

200 g bacon, diced

1 Pepperoni Sausage, diced

1 medium onion, diced

5 cloves of roasted garlic, diced

1 tsp of Italian seasoning

¼ cup Basil, chopped

2 Tbsp Spring onions, diced

Salt and pepper (to taste)

3 large eggs

1 cup cream

1 cup milk

Instructions:

Brown the bacon in a skillet under a medium heat. Remove from heat and dry the bacon with a paper towel.

Use the oil from the bacon to sauté the onions and garlic. Add the sausage and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat. Stir in the bacon, Italian seasoning, basil, spring onions, pepper, and salt.

On another bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and milk. Combine the meat mixture with the egg mixture until well combined.

Then, pour into the tart shell. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 40 minutes before serving.

There were some leftover filling so I baked them in ramekins and served them as breakfast the next morning. I recommend that for just the right amount of filling, reduce the sausage and bacon into half.

The effort and time I exerted for this dish was worth it. The flavor was what I expected – flavorful and distinct. Next time, I will lessen the salt because the Pepperoni Sausage is tasty already and will add more herbs like parsley and thyme.