A quiche brings out the best in the humble leek. Sautéd in butter to tenderness, bathed in a mixture of eggs, milk, cream and a dash of nutmeg, piled into a savory crust and topped with grated cheese, the leek rises from peasant status to nobility. And the beauty is that this quiche can be prepared very easily, especially if — as I did on a lazy Sunday (blush) — you use store-bought puff pastry (pâte feulletée) instead of making the crust from scratch…
Quiche aux poireaux / Leek quiche
Okay, I admit it. A homemade savory crust (pâte brisée) is far superior. And it’s not particularly difficult to produce. The key is having the butter at room temperature when you begin. Well, last Sunday I was in a hurry and the butter was stone cold. So I popped out to the supermarket and picked up the pastry, making sure to buy a “pur beurre” (pure butter) variety instead of one made with vegetable shortening.
The quiche can make a meal in itself, accompanied by a salad — for example, in autumn, a salad of pears roasted with parmesan or a salad of lamb’s lettuce and beets. It can also be served as a starter for a more elaborate meal, followed perhaps by stuffed pumpkin (a great recipe, by the way) or roasted chicken, duck or beef and autumn veggies, and for dessert maybe a Tarte Tatin (apple upside-down tart) or walnut tart.
I’ve been thinking about autumn menus these days as we have two big birthdays coming up around here: my daughter is turning 25, and I’m turning… well… it’s such an improbable number that I won’t bother to mention it. For her birthday dinner, my daughter has requested foie gras followed by boeuf bourguignon and a celeriac-potato purée, with a pavlova (meringue topped with cream and fresh fruit) for dessert (recipe coming soon). As for me, I’m going with a Ukrainian-Georgian theme: blini with homemade gravalax, Georgian guinea hen, red bean salad with walnuts, etc.
These back-to-back events will be followed in short order by an election with the potential to change the world. My European friends are on pins and needles waiting for the result. They fear that a certain candidate, if elected, will pull the United States out of NATO — breaking up the alliance that has defended Europe for 75 years — and withdraw from the Paris climate accords. Everyone wants to know how I think this vote will turn out. Dear reader, I’m as much in the dark as everyone else. All I can say is, I voted. Did you?
Happy cooking.