Thursday, November 3, 2011

Crustless Cauliflower & Ham Quiche

I found this wonderful quiche recipe on foodnetwork.com. I used to work at a cafe in Turlock, California when I was just out of high school and, aside from serving coffee drinks to our guests and patrons, we had to make freshly baked quiche everyday... from scratch. I remember my co-workers not being excited about making quiche (I'm sure they probably still have nightmares about preparing it.), so I would volunteer to make it whenever I had the time. It can be a little tricky, but it's totally worth it if you make it correctly. I was thrilled to see the use of cauliflower in this recipe, which adds a great texture and absorbs much of the delicious flavor the ham gives off. I had never used Gruyere cheese in a quiche before... but now, after making this, I'm not sure I'd use any other cheese other than Gruyere. This is a PERFECT dish for a Sunday brunch or an afternoon snack. Serve with a dollop of sour cream!

My Tip - 3 things. 1. Make sure you don't over boil your cauliflower. No longer than 8 to 10 minutes. Tops! 2. Make sure you dry the cauliflower as much as possible after boiling it. Try patting it down well with a paper towel... if you don't, the cauliflower will make the quiche soggy. 3. Make sure you allow 20 minutes to cool before serving. This gives the quiche some time to firm up a bit and makes slicing it easier.



Crustless Cauliflower & Ham Quiche


Ingredients:

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
2 tablespoons extra-virg in olive oil
1 cup chopped white onion, about 1 medium
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 ounces deli boiled ham, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups half-and-half
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese, about 1 cup


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and cook until very crisp tender, about 1 minute. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water. Shake off excess liquid.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the ham and the onions and cook until lightly brown, about 6 minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and set aside to cool slightly.

4. Brush a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan with the soft butter and evenly sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the grated Parmesan cheese. Place pan on a baking sheet. Whisk the half-and-half, eggs, egg yolks and flour in large glass measuring cup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread half the cauliflower mixture evenly in the pan, top with about half the cheese; repeat with remaining filling and cheese. Pour the custard over the fillings.

5. Bake until the quiche is just set in the center, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.

1 comment:

  1. 2 cups of half and half?! I always thought quiche was a healthier option than say, pancakes or waffles. . . . Might have to rethink that thought. I like your new cooking blog. :)

    ReplyDelete