Quiche anyone?

About a year ago I was craving quiche with a vengeance. Come to think of it I was heavily pregnant so it's not such a stretch to think I was craving anything. But quiche is such a comfort food for me, the tender eggy custard, buttery crust and chock full of add-ins. It's like the savory equivalent of a Ben and Jerry's scoop of ice cream.

Usually quiche is made with eggs and heavy cream which is definitely delicious but despite my penchant for heavy cream I don't keep it around all the time, just for specific recipes. However, right around when my craving hit I was google image searching and found DP's wonderful quiche post over at Blazing Hot Wok. Wonderful because it promised a traditional custard taste but using an ingredient I always keep around - mayo. Don't cringe, remember mayo is just eggs and oil so it's really a custard texture closer to that of a traditional quiche than my usual I'm-out-of-heavy-cream substitute, evaporated milk. After one taste I was sold and now with my freezer stash of crusts I get to have quiche way more often.

Quiche
adapted from Blazing Hot Wok

4 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup whole milk - DP mentions using half and half or evaporated milk but I just used whole milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg - my addition but it definitely gives the quiche a new dimension
addins like sauteed vegetables, cooked meat and cheese

1 pie crust (recipe here) or you can use a ready to roll one from the store which works well too.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. For this batch I was trying out a regular crust and a white wheat crust. This is the wheat version using half all purpose flour and half white wheat crust. Roll your crust, fit it in your pan and crimp the edges. Then place in the fridge or freezer to chill while you make your custard.

Crack and beat the eggs. In true Marielle fashion, I'm doubling up and making two quiches.

Ahhh, my beloved Duke's mayonnaise. I'm sure you're all tired of hearing it but if you haven't tried it, do it soon.

Add the mayo to the eggs and mix well.

Add the flour, salt and nutmeg. Nutmeg is a natural partner to any greens, cream or custard and quiche is no exception.

Drizzle in the milk and mix well. That's it. You've just made the custard for your quiche.

Back to our crusts. Time to choose your filling. Today the filling was a caramelized onion, mushroom and grean bean saute with thyme. The green beans I tossed in at the end and left them a tad undercooked to avoid overcooking them in the oven. Other times I've done a traditional quiche lorraine with cheese/onions/bacon or a florentine style with sauteed spinach and onions. Some times I just saute 2-3 onions until well caramelized and load up my crust with golden onions.

How much filling? I like an obscene amount in my quiche so I gently spoon it in all the way to the top of the crust edge before pouring in the custard. If you like less filling and more custard, gently spoon in your chosen ingredients only to cover the bottom of the crust.

Pour the smooth custard over the filling and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the center is set.

Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about. Smooth custard, tons of caramelized veggies and a crust that makes you want to eat it alone. Yes, the white wheat crust worked beautifully and will be the standard from now on.