Asparagus and Ham Quiche

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Course Breakfast, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 7 servings

Ingredients

1 unbaked Flaky Pie Crust (below) or store bought crust
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup grated gruyere, swiss or cheddar
1 cup diced ham
1 bunch asparagus, just the tops

Flaky Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups All purpose flour, spoon and level
1 1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice water

Instructions

Flaky Pie Crust

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening.
Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat. A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.
Measure 1/2 cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup of water– since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/2 cup of water and a little more in dry winter months (up to 3/4 cup).
Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.
Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days).
When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected.
Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

For the Quiche

Make the dough the night before if possible or allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth.
Chill the pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes or if you’re freezing it. If you freeze it, let it thaw for a couple hours in the refrigerator before continuing.
Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. (Crunch up the parchment paper first so that you can easily shape it into the crust.) Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish.
Place the crust in the preheated oven and bake until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown, about 7-8 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper together on high speed until completely combined, about 1 minute.
To your partially baked pie crust, add your cheese to the bottom, then add your diced ham and your asparagus last. Pour your egg mixture over the ham and asparagus and cheese.
Bake the quiche until the center is just about set, about 45-55 minutes. Don’t over-bake. Use a pie shield or foil to prevent the pie crust edges from over-browning. If the entire quiche is browning too rapidly, loosely place a sheet of foil over the top. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Keyword asparagus, ham, ham and asparagus quiche, quiche, spring, spring quiche