Salmon Quiche

Chinook Salmon

By Cat, Jan 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Savory Pies & Tarts Menu; 2. Pie & Tart Crust or Pastry Menu; 3. Salmon & Leek Tart, Quiche or Casserole; 4. Basic Quiche (About)

I’m enamored of salmon in a quiche and love to experiment with other things to add to a salmon quiche; this recipe is just salmon and cheese in the egg custard, but I provide suggestions for other combinations. One of these days I’ll try spinach and salmon (which I love in an omelette). See also Salmon & Leek Tart, Quiche or Casserole.

This recipe uses fresh, wild-caught salmon, but you could use cold-smoked salmon (like lox). The original uses gruyere cheese, but you could substitute any swiss cheese (like Emmenthal); however, after testing I think a more mild cheese would be better because it would not overwhelm the flavor of the salmon.

Salmon Quiche

This recipe is adapted from Easy French Food (1)

Other combinations and variations:

• Arrange spears of asparagus in a wheel-spoke pattern amidst the salmon filling in the crust, before pouring the egg mixture over;
• Baby broccoli is also excellent, either with or instead of asparagus.
• Spinach with a bit of garlic;
• Use brined chicken breast instead of salmon; cut into bite-sized pieces and saute about 3 minutes until no longer pink before adding to the quiche.

Ingredients & Equipment

• 1 Crust recipe for 10″ quiche pan (or 9″ deep dish pie pan)
• 3 shallots or white part of a leek
• 4 oz gruyere or swiss cheese (about 1 cup grated), or a milder cheese such as baby swiss or Montrachet goat cheese
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz wild-caught salmon, fresh (or 6 oz cold-smoked salmon)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 large fresh farm eggs (or 4 small)
• 1 ½ cups creme fraiche or raw cream (or ½ cup raw cream and 1 cup raw milk for a lighter quiche)
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp unrefined sea salt
• dash cayenne
• Equipment 
• 2 cup measuring cup
• cast iron skillet
• large bowl
• whisk
• cheese grater (optional)

Ingredients for  7.5″ quiche or pie pan

1-2 shallots, 2 oz cheese, 4 – 6 oz salmon, 2 eggs, ¾ cup cream, ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper, plus dash cayenne.

Method:

1. Place oven rack in lower third of oven.  Preheat to 350°F.
2. Prepare crust in pan.
3. Chop shallots and grate cheese; set aside separately.
4. If using asparagus, blanch in boiling water for 2 seconds, then immerse in ice water to cool, then dry.
5. Heat oil in cast iron skillet; add fresh salmon, skin side down, and cook over medium high heat until medium rare (it will finish cooking in the quiche). Don’t cook if using smoked salmon. Remove from heat, pull off skin, and flake the flesh.  Arrange salmon pieces over crust.
6. Heat butter in same skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to keep from burning, until soft. Remove from heat; sprinkle shallots over salmon in crust. Sprinkle with ⅔ of the shredded cheese.
7. Whisk eggs in bowl with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Add creme fraiche (or cream/milk); whisk well to combine.  Pour over salmon mixture.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over and bake 20 – 30 minutes more, until set in center. NOTE:  If using a deep dish pan, it may take a bit more time to cook.
9. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Testing

Testing 4/3/10: I made this in my small 7.5″ ceramic pan with a whole wheat crust (fluted up above edge of pan); filled with 4 oz salmon cooked rare, thinly sliced white of a leek sauteed in butter, ¾ cup raw cream, 2 eggs, 6 asparagus spears, ½ cup gruyere, salt, pepper and cayenne. Result: It was good, but I think the gruyere flavor overpowered the salmon. Perhaps a more mild cheese such as Baby Swiss or goat cheese would be better. Or use less cheese, about ¼ cup.

References

1. Easy French Food recipe: easy-french-food.com/salmon-quiche-recipe.html