Quiche With Pepper Bacon, Chevre and Red Pepper
I recently attended a potluck dinner party and found myself in my usual predicament- my friends all know that I was a cook for most of my life, and so they tend to expect something special from me (when everybody else gets to bring a loaf of bread). Misplaced flattery aside, my issue with that is that I really, really enjoy simple food. I like rustic, savory, filling food, which doesn’t always translate in adventurous or flashy meals. Of course, that may be a case of a carpenter blaming his hammer for the sore thumb, so here goes: my favorite quiche.
I’ve always found it simplest to describe quiche as “egg pie,” but that’s tremendously reductive. Quiche is a simple dish that requires a lot of skill to make well, and that’s really what I pride myself on. The omnipresent Quiche Lorraine aside, I prefer to make mine with only a few ingredients and let each speak for itself. I add pepper bacon to nearly anything I can, and I grew up loving goat cheese so it goes in there too. The red pepper adds a crunch and a nice visual contrast- the appearance of the food is half the taste. It’s just savory enough that it can be served for dinner but still can be portioned thinly for a snack. The party went well, by the way- I received the simple and honest compliment of the hostess wanting quiche again for her next meal.
Ingredients
8 large eggs
¾ cup half & half (heavy cream if you’re daring, milk if you’re not)
8 oz pepper bacon, chopped coarsely
1 medium yellow onion, slivered
4 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly
4 oz soft chevre
1 large red bell pepper, sliced thinly
Fresh rosemary, chopped coarsely
Salt & pepper (as always, kosher and cracked)
First of all, prepare whatever crust you like best- I prefer mine with a little black pepper mixed in with the flour (it’s a nice small variation and has a pleasing visual appearance) and quiche should ideally be baked in a straight edged dish. Preheat oven to 400º F and set crust aside.
In a large pan, cook the bacon on medium high heat until firm but not burnt- you don’t want it to be crunchy. Sprinkle over the crust and set aside. Next, sauté the onion and garlic until caramelized- the warm sweet taste will contrast the saltiness of the bacon. Add to the crust and turn heat to high- you want to quickly cook the red pepper quickly, so it still retains its crunch but gets nicely caramelized. Add to the crust- after giving the whole mixture a few minutes to cool, dollop the chevre evenly over the crust. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs briefly and then add the half&half/cream/milk. Continue to whisk, but only to the point which the eggs and dairy are even mixed- overmixing can damage the texture. Add rosemary, salt and pepper to taste and pour egg mixture over the bacon mixture in the crust- it probably won’t look like a enough, but will rise immensely. Bake for about 45 minutes and don’t disturb the oven- the only rising agent is air and egg, so it can fall easily while baking. Serve with a pleasant blush wine, a cup of coffee or a light salad- it’s all going to be good.
by Nathan Kamal
