Shaggy Mane Quiche Recipes

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. (If it cracks while baking, see note below for instructions on how to patch it up.) Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
• Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
• Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
• Note: Don't panic if your crust has cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then proceed with the recipe. If the crust cracks while blind baking, patch it afterwards and place it back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be fully prepared up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.

HAM AND SPINACH QUICHE

Steps:

• Pulse together the flour, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add about a 1/3 of the chilled butter cubes and process until the butter is absorbed. Add the remaining butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas, 5 or 6 pulses. Add the vinegar. Then, pulsing quickly a few times as you do it, add the ice water through the tube. Squeeze some dough between your fingers; it should just hold its shape without feeling wet. If it is crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time. Pulse quickly; do not overwork or the dough will be tough. Wrap the dough loosely in a large piece of plastic wrap, then firmly press and flatten the dough into a thin round. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour, roll the dough out into an 11- to 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Center the dough in a 9-inch pie plate, with an even overhang all around. Fold the edges and flute or crimp. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Press a piece of foil over the chilled crust, fill with pie weights, raw beans or rice. Bake to set the crust, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the crust is light brown, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly before adding the filling.
• Adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the onion evenly into the crust. Combine the cheese, ham and spinach in a small bowl and sprinkle it in an even layer over the onion.
• Whisk together the half and half, parsley, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
• Pour the custard over the filling and bake until the quiche is set, 35 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

.SHAGGY MANE MUSHROOM RECIPE

Steps:

• Admire the structural delicacy of this stately mushroom, balanced precariously atop its tall, slender white stem. The long white bell-shaped cylindrical cap is covered with large shaggy buff, tan or brown scales, giving it the appearance of a British lawyer's wig. This is why one of its common names is "lawyer's wig." The spores are black. When young, a dainty annular ring is found around the stem; this ring drops down the stem as the mushroom matures. Within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, the borders of the cap begin to liquefy, and the entire cap is converted into a pool of inky black fluid, the origin of the common name "inky cap." Liquefied Coprinus comatus was used as writing ink in George Washington's day. Despite its seemingly frail appearance, this mushroom can generate enough power to perform one of nature's most astonishing weight-lifting acts. Emerging shaggy mane caps may lift asphalt pavement into the air in segments, fragmenting it in the process. They do this by gradually absorbing water and slowly expanding, exerting upward pressure far out of proportion to their fragile substance. This mushroom contributes its unique robust flavor to some of the tastiest wild-mushroom dishes, such as chicken Tetrazzini and shaggy mane cream soup. For the finest flavor it must be consumed before it begins to liquefy. Eating the dissolving mushroom is not harmful, but the cooked remnants will be slimy and less flavorful than those with solid flesh. Vietnamese villagers invert them in the hollows of empty egg cartons to prevent liquefaction in order to transport them. This allows them to survive for a few days longer. Fortunately, Coprinus comatus often fruits in large numbers, affording the collector the opportunity to gather mainly young and unliquefied specimens. Coprinus micaceus ("mica cap") is a smaller, tawny yellow to reddish-brown member of this genus. In some parts of the country, it is more abundant than the shaggy mane. It is occasionally found growing in clumps from under protective rocks or logs. With a hand lens, shiny, angular, granular crystals may be seen at the apex of the cap. These particles resemble mica, from which the mushroom derives its name. C. micaceus can be used as a substitute for C. comatus, but it is not as flavorsome. Some people eat C. atramentarius, a close relative of the shaggy mane. This mushroom contains a chemical called coprine, a substance which acts like the medicine Antabuse. As a rule, when alcoholic beverages of any sort are drunk before or after eating these mushrooms, one becomes quite uncomfortable. • Cleaning: Using your fingers or a soft brush and as little water as possible, very gently clean the mushrooms of dirt and debris. Water hastens their deterioration, so they should be cooked immediately. Careful collecting and gentle handling are essential to keep them intact. • Cooking: Do not cut these mushrooms into small pieces. The tissues are tender and the Coprinus cooks quickly. Sauté it in butter with chopped onions, salt and pepper, and add it to soup or pasta. Much liquid is released from the mushrooms when they are heated. Pouring off the fluid for later use will speed up the cooking process. Its unique aromatic taste is transferred to the other foods and liquid with which it is prepared. Dairy dishes, soups, pasta, and poultry pick up its savoriness exceptionally well. • Preserving: After sautéing for 3 to 5 minutes, place in containers for freezing. Most of their flavor is lost when shaggy manes are dried.

SHAGGY MANE QUICHE

Steps:

• See above.