Red pepper & aged cheddar quiche

quichemac

 

At a recent media event I talked about here, Montreal Gazette fine dining critic Lesley Chesterman shared her recipes to serve an all-Chardonnay summer meal from appetizers to desserts. If quiche has gone hot and cold, from overblown trend to the transfat nightmare decried by nutritionists (one trend I wish dead: the nutritionist take on everything we eat, just saying), in French culture, quiche remains the staple it’s always been.

This red pepper quiche would make a terrific lunch of course, but you can also cut it into small squares and serve it as a surefire starter. While the French would surely use a Comté or an Emmenthal, an aged cheddar — the rightful feature-in-the-cap of local cheesemakers — provides robust taste to pair with the sweetness of red peppers. Definitely my kind of pairings on all levels, here’s hoping you enjoy it too.

For other recipes that cozy up well to Chardonnay, see Nicoise Salad, Bar-B-Cue Pork Tenderloin with Peaches and Granité Chardonnay with Grapefruit Confit shown below. All recipes were created by Lesley Chesterman and slightly reworded by me for a shorter read, I take the full blame if mistakes were added 🙂

 

saladenicoiseMac pork granite

Instructions

  • 1. Roll dough to an approx. thickness of 2-3 cm (1/2 inch), then line a 20-cm (9-in) quiche pan or tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 30 minutes.
  • 2. Meanwhile, broil red bell peppers in oven until charred. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam until cool enough to handle.
  • 3. Peel off stem and blackened skin, seed and remove white ribs inside peppers. Cut into strips and pat dry with paper towel. Reserve.
  • 4. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F), oven rack in the middle.
  • 5. Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and weigh down with pie weights. Bake 20 minutes or until edges turn slightly brown.
  • 6. Remove paper and weights, then continue baking 7 minutes or until the crust is almost done. Let cool at room temperature.
  • 7. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Use 30 ml (2 tbsp) to baste crust, then return to oven until liquid sets (this will seal crust and prevent leaks).
  • 8. Let crust cool slightly, then layer half the peppers in the bottom. Sprinkle with the cheese, then remaining peppers, and transfer quiche to a baking sheet.
  • 9. Carefully pour egg mixture over peppers to avoid overflowing.
  • 10. Put in preheated oven, reducing temperature to 175°C (350°F) immediately and bake 30 minutes or until egg mixture starts to swell and turn golden.
  • 11. Let cool and serve warm or a room temperature. Cut into bite-size canapes or serve as a light main dish, with a green salad for example.

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