Spinach-Feta Quiche
I just love to prepare tarts and quiches. It’s one of my favorite things to create, bake or try out. Every aspect of it attracts me: the crust, the filling, the presentation and of course the tasting! This recipe is easy to make and beautiful. The combination of spinach and feta is a classical one, but it never disappoints. It is a nice starter dish and a good vegetarian alternative. I did it many times, and the reviews are unanimously delicious! :) My husband elected it “one of the best quiche recipes to date!” I hope you like it and enjoy it as much as we did.
I prefer to use fresh baby spinach and to steam it myself. It tastes so much better than frozen spinach. Spinach looses a lot of water when steamed or cooked. I usually count around a pound of baby spinach to end up with one cup of steamed spinach.
One of the secrets for a nice pie crust is to “work the dough” as little as possible. The more you work/mix/pulse the dough, the harder the end result will be… So count the pulses, until you reach the right (described) consistency… you can always pulse a few times more if needed, but you can never reverse your work… so be patient and attentive. :)
Bon Appétit!
Spinach-Feta Quiche
Adapted from: One pot of the day. Kate McMillan
Serves 8
For the crust
1 ⅓ cup (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (125 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoon (60 ml) ice water, or more as needed
For the filling
1 cup (30 g) steamed fresh spinach or thawed frozen spinach, drained and squeezed completely dry
3 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of grated nutmeg
¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
¾ cup (180 ml) milk
1 cup (155 g) crumbled Feta cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch (6 mm) pieces
Directions
You will need a tart dish (with removable bottom), a food processor with the blade attachment.
Scale and prep all the ingredients.
To make the crust, in a food processor with the blade attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse a couple of times to mix. Add the cold butter and pulse a few times (around 8). Add the 4 tablespoons of ice water and pulse about 10 times. If the dough crumbles, add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and pulse just until the dough holds together. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, shape into a 6-inch (15 cm) disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 400 F. (200 C)
On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round, about 10 ½ inches (26.5 cm) in diameter, and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch (23 cm) quiche pan. Pinch the dough around the rim to form a fluted edge.
Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift out the weights and parchment paper.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C).
Arrange the spinach evenly in the pre-baked crust. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ½ teaspoon of salt, ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper, and the pinch of nutmeg. Add the cream and milk and whisk until well blended. Slowly pour the eggs mixture over the spinach in the crust. Dot the top with the cheese and butter.
Bake until the top is lightly browned and the filling is just barely set, around 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let stand for 5 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.
