Potato Quiche

1. A homemade open potato quiche is a fairly simple dish, even counting the dough. Classic quiches are made with shortcrust, also called “rubbed-in” dough. We add an egg to make the dough firmer. The filling is potato parboiled until half done; for a medium pie a couple of large potatoes is enough. For flavor we add fried bacon, which raises the calories, and a soft cheese with a sharp or piquant taste. Gorgonzola, Roquefort or any blue cheese works great.

   

Making a firm shortcrust dough

1. Take the butter out of the fridge in advance so it comes to room temperature and gets very soft. Measure 2 cups of flour (260 g) and sift it. The dough is easy to mix with the spiral hook of a mixer. Put the flour in the mixer bowl, add the soft butter, a pinch of salt and one egg. Mix everything together, then add 1 tbsp of boiled water to improve the dough’s cohesion. If needed, you can add a little more water. Knead the dough by hand until completely smooth; it should be soft and knead easily.

   

Preparing the potato filling for the quiche

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. With a sharp knife or a slicer, cut the halves into very thin slices. The potato slices need to be parboiled. Heat water in a pot and salt it lightly, as for mashed potatoes. Boil the slices for 3 minutes, no longer; they are thin and become almost done quickly. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse with cold water, then let the water drain off.

   

2. In a deep bowl, measure 150 ml of cream; 15-20% fat is enough. Crack two eggs into the cream. Grate the cheese on a fine grater; we used Danablu. Stir everything well with a fork. This is the custard for the potato quiche. If you don’t want this cheese, use any other: cheddar, mozzarella, Emmental and so on.

   

3. Bacon can be raw or smoked, preferably rindless. Shops often sell thinly sliced bacon or a similar product. Heat a dry frying pan and fry the bacon strips until lightly browned on both sides. Then cut the bacon into pieces about the size of the potato slices.

   

Shaping and baking the potato quiche

1. Prepare a baking pan; pans with a removable bottom are very handy. People often ask, so: my quiche pan is 28 cm in diameter with tall fluted sides. There is no need to grease the pan, since the dough has enough butter and the potato quiche comes away from the sides easily. Pressing the dough with your fingers, spread it over the bottom and sides of the pan, forming a rim 3.5-4 cm high. The dough is soft and presses easily, so there won’t be any problems. Try to keep the thickness of the dough even everywhere.

   

2. Stir the custard of cream, eggs and cheese once more. With a brush, coat the whole inside surface of the dough in the pan with the custard. Then, starting from the outer edge, lay down the potato slices, adding a slice of fried bacon from time to time. Working in a circle toward the center, lay all the potato and bacon on the dough.

   

3. Season the potato and bacon with ground black pepper. No salt is needed; the cheese gives enough flavor. With a spoon, starting from the outer edge, spread the custard so that it gets between the slices of filling with no gaps. If needed, nudge the pieces a little with the tip of a knife so the custard flows between them.

   

4. Heat the oven to 200°C; it should be properly hot. Put the pan with the potato quiche in the oven. Baking time is usually 30-40 minutes, but judge by the browning of the dough and the surface of the custard; it may take more or less. During baking it is worth turning the pan now and then so it bakes evenly.

   

5. Take the pan with the pie out of the oven, carefully, as it is very hot. Transfer the quiche to a board or a large plate and let it cool. It should be warm, not hot. With a sharp knife, cut the pie into 6-8 pieces, like a pizza. Cut the crust gently without pressing, as it crumbles easily.

   

6. Serve the potato quiche as a dish on its own, or instead of bread with soup or broth. The pie can be stored in the fridge and reheated in the microwave before serving.