Quiche with Black Forest Ham

[cat lover]

Quiche Wildbader Art

This quiche pays tribute to the town of Bad Wildbad in the northern Black Forest. Famous for its thermal baths, the town is also celebrated for it numerous smoke houses and the marvelous smoked hams, sausages and other meats produced by the city's inhabitants.

Cafes serve this dish in a variety of forms. Sometimes it is thick, baked in a tart or pie pan, and other times it is quite thin. This quiche can also be served at almost any time of day. In the Black Forest, we enjoy it at room temperature or chilled as a light lunch with a green salad or by itself as a late afternoon snack. With all of its variations, this modest but elegant quiche again represents the great influence of French cuisine (in this case that of the Lorraine region of Northern France) on the food of the Black Forest.

Be sure to choose a good quality ham here. I suggest Black Forest ham, but any cooked or smoked ham will do. You could even use bacon or sausage for that matter. Whatever meat you choose, just be sure it is not too dry, or it will become quite tough when baked in the quiche.

Makes one 9" quiche


Crust:

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
4 tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
4 to 5 tbsp ice water

Filling:

6 extra large eggs
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup finely chopped Black Forest ham

To make the crust, stir together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the flour and toss together with a fork until the dough starts to come together. It will be a little stick or tacky. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and coat a 9" tart pan (with removable bottom) with vegetable spray.On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. Beginning at one edge of the dough, roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it carefully over the tart pan. Ease the dough into the pan, gently pressing it into and against the sides, being careful not to stretch it. Remove any excess dough from the rim of the tart pan. Carefully line the dough with heavy-duty aluminum foil, fill with dried beans or pie weights and bake for about 15 minutes, or until very light golden. Remove the crust from the oven, carefully lift out the foil and weights and set aside on a rack to cool. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees F.
To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, chives, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
To assemble the quiche, spread the Gruyere cheese and ham evenly over the bottom of the cooled crust and pour the egg filling overtop. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.Remove the quiche from the oven, place on a rack to set for about 5 minutes and serve.


Recipe from the Black Forest Cruisine