It’s a good year to celebrate Mother’s Day at home with this recipe for Asparagus Quiche
This weekend is Mother’s Day. I’ve heard it’s a restaurant’s busiest day of the year, however, I have my doubts about that holding true this year. While I’m eager to eat at a restaurant, Mother’s Day will not be the day I venture out. Instead, we’ll be cooking for my mom and enjoying a nice, socially distant dinner on the patio.
Quiche is a perfect versatile dish to serve anytime of the day. Traditionally it’s for breakfast or lunch, but it makes for a beautiful dinner, too — especially during springtime. We’ve been eating breakfast for dinner every so often during social distancing. It’s so quick, easy and comforting. This week’s quiche recipe has a hash-brown crust, which is quicker and simpler than making a traditional pie crust.
The two-cheese combo makes for a delicious, slightly salty flavor. Throw asparagus into any dish, and it’s bound to get better. A friend whose dad grows fresh asparagus keeps sharing some of their bounty with me, and what a delightful treat. I roast the whole pound and eat it for lunch. I simply cannot resist good asparagus. If there’s a next time, I’ll make it into this quiche, or perhaps pick some up at the store.
Feel free to play around with this recipe. If you don’t have the two kinds of cheese listed, you could use another hard, salty cheese or another soft cheese. Improvising has been a helpful tool during the times of not running to the store every couple of days, like normal.
However you celebrate your mother and or motherly figure in your life, here’s wishing it’s delightful, meaningful time spent together. If nothing else, I’m hopeful the slow down makes us all readjust priorities and our pace of life.
Asparagus and Two-Cheese Quiche with Hash-Brown Crust
4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 ¼ cups half and half
1 teaspoon mustard powder
5 ounces Fontina cheese, grated, (about 1 ½ cups)
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
½ bunch asparagus (about ½ pound), end trimmed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using the coarse grater disk on a food processor or the largest holes on a box grater, shred potatoes. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Transfer to a clean dishtowel, gather together ends of towel, and thoroughly wring out excess liquid over the sink; Transfer potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a 10” cast-iron skillet over medium-high until butter is melted. Add potatoes and immediately start forming into a crust by pushing potatoes flat against bottom and sides of pan with a ½ cup dry measuring cup. Continue cooking, pressing potatoes up sides of pan if they start shrinking, until potatoes are bound together and bottom of crust is starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from stove top and put in the oven for 15 minutes to brown the crust. Remove crust-lined pan from the oven. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until translucent, 5-6 minutes; set aside.
Whisk eggs, half and half, mustard powder, ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in another large bowl. Whisk in tarragon and set aside.
Sprinkle Fontina cheese, goat cheese, and sautéed shallots evenly over bottom of crust, then pour in egg mixture. Arrange asparagus decoratively on top. Bake until quiche is set and crust is well-browned, 30-35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into wedges and serving from the pan.
Do Ahead
Quiche can be made made up to 1 day in advance. Cool to room temperature, then wrap with plastic and refrigerate. To reheat, bake 325 degrees until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes.
.jpg)