Mushroom and Emmental Crustless Quiche

While watching the election returns, I made a new quiche tonight. Every new quiche I make instantly becomes my favorite, and this is my new favorite.

This is just beautiful, though you will have to take my word for it because I cannot find the memory card for my camera.

Mushrooms, caramelized onions, and grated emmental in a velvety smooth custard. Heaven.

Below is a long narrative version of my dish, which is the way I email it to my mother. Enjoy.

Per serving: 135.25 calories, 3.21 carbs, 11.3 g fat, 4.8 g protein.

I begin each quiche the same way.

I preheat the oven to 325º. Some recipes recommend 375 (even Mark Bittman and Cooks Illustrated), and I have used that temperature, but I prefer the Julia Child 325º until it is puffed and browned method. I incorporated some advice from Cooks Illustrated’s New Best Recipe cookbook. I removed the quiche when it was set an inch from the edge rather than at the center — the center would finish cooking after it was removed from the oven. It worked beautifully and the custard was perfect.

I caramelize about half of a large onion (usually between 4-5 ounces), which I include in every quiche for flavor and texture. Seriously, is there ever a reason to not include caramelized onions?

The onions are diced and sauteéd in a tablespoon of butter. The smaller the dice, the faster they cook. I add a 1/2 tsp of herbes de provence because I love the aroma of the rosemary and thyme, etc. I grind a bit of sea salt and cracked pepper onto the onions. I sauté, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned.

Then, I remove the onions from the pan and add another tablespoon of butter.

Once the butter begins to sizzle a bit, I swirl the butter around the pan and then add the mushrooms (I use “baby bella” mushrooms, which are also cremini — I buy the local presliced from the market). I sprinkle them with another 1/2 tsp of herbes de provence, sea salt, and cracked pepper. I sauté the mushrooms until lightly browned.

Then I add a tablespoon of Amantillado Sherry, but any sherry, port, or wine would work, or it can all be omitted. Once the Sherry has mostly cooked off, I remove the mushrooms to a separate bowl.

I grate 1.5 ounce block of emmental cheese, though swiss, swiss lorraine, or gruyere would work. I love using the emmental because it had a nuttiness that matches well with the earthiness of the mushrooms. (Tonight, rather than use my oxo box grater, I used my zyliss parmesan grater and it worked flawlessly and fast!) 1.5 ounces of cheese is roughly equivalent to a cup.

I use a glass pyrex 9 inch pie pan for no discernable reason, except that I have two of them so one is always clean. I have a lovely ceramic Le Creuset pie pan, but I don’t know why I don’t use it. I take a small piece of unsalted sweet cream butter and rub it all over the inside of the pie pan.

Then, I evenly layer at least half of the onions — or more, if necessary — to coat most of the bottom of the pan.

To that, I layer the mushrooms to cover the onions. Over that I layer the cheese.

Sometimes, I add half the custard here, but most of the time I don’t. It seems to work out pretty much the same whatever I do.

I then layer the remaining ingredients.

I pour 1 cup of heavy cream (you can use milk, half and half, or a combination, but it will add lots of carbs) into the tall immersion blender attachment that came with my braun multiquick hand blender.

Into that cylinder, I add in 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of egg beater. (I found this does not detract from the custard or richness, but instead it reduces some of the heaviness.) I add a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg at this point.

Then, I whisk it together on low to blend for about 60 seconds.

I pour the egg and cream mixture over the ingredients in the pie pan evenly and then slide the dish into the oven.

I set the timer for 35 minutes to check it, then check it 10 minutes, and then in 5 minute increments until it’s puffed and browned and a knife inserted an inch from the edge comes out clean.

I cut it into 8 servings because it is easy for me to eyeball eights on my gas burner cover.

Ingredients:

• 2.1 tbs butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup egg beaters
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4.3 oz onion
• 6 oz mushrooms
• 1.5 oz emmental
• 1 tbs Sherry