Niçoise tomato quiche

You'll love the quiche that Loreto brings us, from Sabores de Colores! The mixture of olives, tomato and anchovies results in a very Mediterranean flavor, and in quiche form it turns out to be most tempting and original. Enjoy!

When the film Julie&Julia was released in theaters I didn’t hesitate a second to order the book it was based on; it hadn’t yet been published in Spanish, but I needed to have all its recipes close at hand so those two beautiful volumes would become bedside and reference books. Both the recipes and the illustrations are a dream. And if you don’t have it yet, Book Day is coming up; it’s the perfect excuse for them to become part of your culinary library! (its Spanish edition now available!)

And with good weather on the way, I couldn’t resist imagining those al fresco meals where a delicious quiche is a must. The one I’m sharing today, besides being very Mediterranean, is completely different from what we’re used to enjoying. In this case it contains no cream and its main base is fresh tomato.

To make this quiche I used a round ceramic pan from Kitchen Craft, with the perfect size so there isn’t a spoonful of filling left over and, of course, with a shortcrust base, also a recipe from Julia Child, crisp, buttery, and not heavy at all. If making it feels like a chore, you can use a ready-made base, although you know the result isn’t the same.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

For the shortcrust pastry:

140 gr flour
85 gr cold butter, cut into small cubes
28 gr cold lard, in small pieces
3- 4 ½ tablespoons of ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar (optional)

For the Niçoise quiche filling:

40 gr finely chopped onion
900 gr tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped. Plus 1 tomato in slices to garnish
1 egg and 3 yolks
8 anchovy fillets plus the oil from the can they come in
3 tablespoons tomato paste
12 pitted black olives
25 gr grated Parmesan
1 pinch ground cayenne
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 /2 teaspoon oregano, basil, or thyme (you can mix them if you like, or use the one you prefer)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

For the shortcrust pastry:

1. Place all the ingredients, except the water, in the bowl of our stand mixer, and with the paddle attachment go to high speed and stop about 4-5 times, until you get a sandy texture. Doing it in bursts prevents the dough from heating up. With so much fat, that happens easily.

2. Once you have the desired texture, add 3 tablespoons of water, start the mixer and see whether the dough forms a ball or needs more water. If so, add the remaining water.

3. Remove from the mixer to a floured surface and work it until you have a dough with a fresh, smooth texture. Shape into a ball, wrap in baking paper, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Once the dough has rested, roll it out on a floured surface with a rolling pin (I used the Le Creuset wooden rolling pin which I’m in love with). Roll the dough into a circle about 4mm thick.

Le Creuset wooden rolling pin, Kitchen Craft quiche pan and Le Creuset cast iron skillet

5. Next, carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and place it over our ceramic Kitchen craft pan, always previously buttered and floured. Trim the excess edges, cover with baking paper and place on top of the dough the Kitchen craft ceramic balls (if not, use chickpeas or other dried legumes as weights), put in a preheated 200ºC oven and bake for 8 minutes, remove from the oven, take out the little balls and the paper and bake again for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the niçoise quiche filling:

6. Soften the chopped onion in our Le Creuset skillet over low heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, peeled and seeded beforehand, the mashed garlic, the herbs, the half teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Then uncover and cook until the tomato juices have almost completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

7. In a bowl whisk the egg together with the yolks, add the chopped anchovies, the tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of oil (including the anchovy oil), the chopped parsley, the paprika, and the pinch of cayenne. Mix well. Then add the tomato and onion sofrito, bring the mixture together, and adjust salt and pepper if needed (remember anchovies are very salty). Set aside.

8. Spread the filling over the shell that’s been partially blind-baked, sprinkle the Parmesan, arrange the tomato slices and olives, drizzle with a tablespoon of oil, and bake at 190ºC (always preheated oven) for 25-30 minutes or until the quiche has puffed up and browned on top.

Recipes from Julia Child never fail — this delicious quiche, without cream as we’re used to enjoying them, is truly delicious. And as you know, quiches can be enjoyed hot, warm, or even cold. They’re always a hit!

Loreto