Spring Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quiche

🧂 Ingredients

• ¾ cup (90 g) whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup (90 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (4 oz; 115 g) chilled unsalted butter

  cut into ½-inch cubes
• ¼ cup (60 mL) ice water
• 1 small bunch fresh asparagus

  blanched (see directions below)
• garlic confit or roasted garlic cloves

  optional, but recommended
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups (480 mL) whole milk

  or 1 cup whole milk, plus 1 cup heavy cream
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  or ground nutmeg
• 3 ounces soft goat cheese

  plain or herbed

Instructions

• 1 Prepare Quiche Dough: Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt
  in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse several times to mix
  thoroughly. Add the cold, cubed butter, and pulse 10 to 12 times until the
  butter is incorporated and the butter is no smaller than pea-sized. You want the
  butter pieces to be in varying sizes, some small and others slightly larger.
  This will result in the flakiest crust.
• 2 Add the ice water, and pulse until the dough just begins to clump together
  loosely. Remove the dough to a clean counter top, shape together with your hands
  into a square disc, and cover tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for
  a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. Make Ahead Tip: Dough can be
  prepared up to two days in advance and kept wrapped tightly in the refrigerator.
• 3 Blind-Bake Quiche Dough: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) with a rack in the
  center position. Grease an 8-inch x 11.5-inch rectangular (1-inch deep) tart pan
  and set aside. Remove the dough from the fridge, and place on a clean, lightly
  floured countertop.  Using a lightly floured rolling pin, starting from the
  center of dough to the outside, roll dough into a large rectangle. It should be
  ¼-inch thick or slightly thinner. Throughout the process, pick up dough
  carefully and move regularly on the countertop to ensure it does not stick.
• 4 Using the rolling pin, roll and pick up the dough and lay over the greased tart
  pan, gently guiding it into the sides of the tart (try to avoid stretching the
  dough), and pressing with your fingers. Make sure to press the dough tightly
  inside the corners and sides to shape the tart shell. If it rips at all, press
  the dough back together or use dough scraps–this is very important, otherwise
  your egg filling will leak. Trim the edges.
• 5 Line the tart dough with aluminum foil - shiny side facing up - allowing it to
  extend past the sides at least an inch or two.  Fill with baking beans or
  weights, distributing them evenly in the corners of the pan. Blind-bake the
  dough for 20 minutes; then remove the foil and beans, and bake the dough,
  uncovered, for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until the dough is baked through
  and appears dry. Set aside on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.
  Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
• 6 Assemble and Bake: Bring a large pot of very salted water to a boil. Trim any
  tough ends from the asparagus spears. Set aside a large bowl of ice water. Add
  the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch the asparagus for 2 to 4 minutes
  (depending on the size of your asparagus), immediately transfer asparagus to
  ice water bath. Shocking them will help retain their green color. Once cooled,
  quickly remove the asparagus from the ice water and place on a larger plate
  lined with a kitchen linen or paper towels to soak up any excess water.
• 7 In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, salt and freshly grated
  nutmeg, and set aside. Trim the ends of the blanched asparagus if needed, so
  they are all similar in length and will fit the width of the tart pan.
• 8 Line the blind-baked quiche dough with blanched aparagus–you want roughly ½-inch
  between each spear (you may have some extra spears that you do not use, be sure
  to overcrowding the pan, because you'll need space for the custard filling).
  Distribute several large cloves of garlic confit or roasted garlic cloves among
  the pan, if using. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the tart shell so that it
  nearly reaches the top. Distribute the goat cheese, in large clumps, evenly
  across the top of the filling.
• 9 Bake the quiche for roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the filling still jiggles
  when you move the pan, continue to bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
  Optional: To brown the goat cheese even more, you can quickly place the tart
  under a broiler, set at medium heat, for several minutes.
• 10 Once the filling is set, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 20
  to 25 minutes before serving. Quiche best served at warm or room temperature.
  Leftover quiche can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for
  up 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition Info