Bacon and Tomato Quiche was an idea that popped into my head when I was being all amazed at the fact that I have too many homegrown tomatoes on hand--a great problem to have, no? I don't have such a glut of them that I need to can them, just enough that I need to think of new ways to use them so that none are wasted.
I also had some leftover
buttermilk on hand, and you know how I hate to waste anything, so buttermilk
pastry. The first time I used buttermilk in pie dough, it was the same
situation. And the pastry came out so great, I was really excited thinking I had
invented something. But, no, I googled it and found buttermilk pastry was
already a thing!
Anyway, I also wanted to make just
enough quiche for two, so pulled out a Pyrex
207 Petite Pie Plate with scalloped handles. But, as I mentioned in my Peach Pie for Two post, this item has been discontinued. If you don't have it, or can't
find a used one, you can order one of
these: Anchor Hocking 6-Inch Glass Pie Plate or Fox Run 7-Inch Pie Tin.
When
I bake or par-bake an empty pie shell, I don't use pie weights and never have
any trouble with the pastry slumping down into the dish. That is perhaps because
I chill the pastry before rolling it, put it into the pie plate without
stretching it, make a lovely high, crimped edge, dock it (poke it all over,
sides as well, with a fork) and chill it well
again.
You can find more detailed
directions for making pastry here at my How to Make Pie Crust By Hand tutorial.
What are your favorite pastry tips and
techniques?
If you like it, please Pin it and share it!
Bacon and Tomato Quiche for Two
(Makes one 6- to 7-inch quiche)
The Pastry
1 dip-and-sweep cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, well chilled
3 to 5 tablespoons buttermilk
3 slices (about 3 ounces) bacon (I use organic uncured), cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup lightly squeezed and
drained diced tomatoes plus thin slices (patted dry with paper towel) to
decorate top
2 large eggs, lightly
beaten
1 cup milk (I use organic
2%)
1 teaspoon minced fresh flat-leaf
parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black
pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper
flakes
1/2 packed cup (2 ounces) shredded
Cheddar cheese
1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour and
salt. Cut chilled butter into thin pats. With fingers, quickly work the butter
into the flour, leaving some pieces the size of small peas.
2 Sprinkle 3 tablespoons buttermilk over flour mixture while stirring with large fork. Add a little more, if needed.
3 Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten slightly into an inch-thick disk; double wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour. May be frozen for up to a month; defrost, wrapped, in the refrigerator.
4 If dough is thoroughly chilled, let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling. Don't throw out the piece of plastic wrap; you'll be using it again. Butter a 6- to 7-inch pie plate. On lightly floured surface, roll out disk to an 11- or 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place pastry in pie plate, being careful to not stretch the dough. Crimp the edge. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Cover loosely with that reserved square of plastic wrap and refrigerate* for 30 minutes. During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the thoroughly chilled crust for 20 minutes.
5 *While pie shell is chilling and then baking, prepare filling. In skillet, sauté the bacon pieces until slightly crisp; drain on paper towel. Pour most of fat out of the skillet and sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
6 Remove par-baked pie shell from the oven; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. In small bowl (I use a 1-quart glass measure), combine eggs, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Scatter a third of the cheese over the crust, then the onion and half the tomatoes, half the remaining cheese, the bacon and remaining tomatoes, half the remaining cheese. Pour in the filling, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Decorate the top with some patted-dry thin slices of tomato.
2 Sprinkle 3 tablespoons buttermilk over flour mixture while stirring with large fork. Add a little more, if needed.
3 Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten slightly into an inch-thick disk; double wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour. May be frozen for up to a month; defrost, wrapped, in the refrigerator.
4 If dough is thoroughly chilled, let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling. Don't throw out the piece of plastic wrap; you'll be using it again. Butter a 6- to 7-inch pie plate. On lightly floured surface, roll out disk to an 11- or 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place pastry in pie plate, being careful to not stretch the dough. Crimp the edge. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Cover loosely with that reserved square of plastic wrap and refrigerate* for 30 minutes. During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the thoroughly chilled crust for 20 minutes.
5 *While pie shell is chilling and then baking, prepare filling. In skillet, sauté the bacon pieces until slightly crisp; drain on paper towel. Pour most of fat out of the skillet and sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
6 Remove par-baked pie shell from the oven; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. In small bowl (I use a 1-quart glass measure), combine eggs, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Scatter a third of the cheese over the crust, then the onion and half the tomatoes, half the remaining cheese, the bacon and remaining tomatoes, half the remaining cheese. Pour in the filling, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Decorate the top with some patted-dry thin slices of tomato.
7 Bake
at 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden and a knife
inserted an inch in from the edge comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for
about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Jean
