Gruyere, Ham And Arugula Quiche
Andrea Potischman
May 10, 2019
Although quiche is considered a classic French dish, it actually originated in Germany in the medieval kingdom of Lotharingia, which the French later renamed “Lorraine“. The word “quiche” itself comes from the German word “kuchen“, meaning “cake“. Quiche is a savory dish consisting of a pastry crust filled with a flan-like mixture of eggs, milk (or cream), cheese, meat, seafood, and/or vegetables. I love the simplicity and versatility of a quiche, which can typically be served hot or at room temperature without losing flavor.
I’m a fan of quiche generally, but especially for brunch in the Springtime. The rustic combination of a flaky buttery crust and a flavorful, savory egg custard is true comfort food. This recipe is a longtime favorite of mine. Gruyere, a cheese I have always loved (I blame that on my deep love of French onion soup) is the star ingredient. In this quiche, the flavorful cheese and salty cured meat complement the earthy peppery arugula perfectly.
But don’t overlook the custard, in a quiche it’s quintessential. A quiche custard must have good flavor, nice consistency, and depth to make the quiche a great one. If the custard is too simple or flavorless, the quiche will be bland and underwhelming. For this recipe I use a sallow removable bottom tart pan instead of a traditional deep dish pie pan, to better balance the crust, custard, and filling ratio.
If you read my blog often, you already know my thoughts on crust–it’s very important. I can’t stress it enough, a homemade one tastes substantially better. The general rule of thumb with making a quiche: if you’re going to do it, don’t skimp, make the dough from scratch. For this recipe, I use my simple pie dough and it never disappoints. The bonus, if you make it in a food processor, it only takes minutes to whip up.
For my egg filling, I rely heavily on my classical French training. Fat makes the filling rich and flavorful. To do this, I use a combination of heavy cream and half-n-half instead of whole milk. I have tinkered with the fat content many times, but this combination gets me the silky, soft egg texture I want to pull it all together. Trust me, it’s worth it. Quiche is not a low-calorie dish, it is a delicious treat to be enjoyed, so if you’re going to indulge, make it worth it.
Gruyere, Ham And Arugula Quiche
Ingredients:
For the Quiche Crust:
- One recipe of my simple pie dough
For the Quiche Filling:
- 1 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces sliced black forest ham, finely chopped
- 1 cup, packed, baby arugula, roughly chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup half-n-half
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash cayenne pepper
- Dash of white pepper
- Dash of nutmeg
- Dash of dry mustard
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a 9-inch removable tart pan on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside. If using homemade pie dough, allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using.
- When the dough is ready, roll out the dough into a large 10-inch round or square (depending on what type of tart pan you're using), about 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough into the pan and line the bottom and sides with the pastry. Use your hands to press down gently on the dough adhere. Set aside.
- Assembling the Tart: Sprinkle cheese on the bottom of the tart followed by the ham and arugula. Make sure to spread out evenly.
- In a small mixing bowl add the eggs, cream, half-n-half, salt, cayenne pepper white pepper, nutmeg, and dry mustard, and whisk until well blended.
- Pour the egg mixture into the filled tart pan. Place in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the tart to cool slightly before serving.
Does it freeze well!?
Hi Molly- Thanks so much for reaching out and for reading my blog. In terms of freezing this quiche, I am not a big fan of freezing cooked quiches because I think the quality of both the crust and the filling get lost in the thawing and reheating processes. That said, many people do this. I have not tried it with this recipe, but I imagine it would hold up OK. I have frozen the dough before for various purposes and unfrozen it without issue, but that is slightly different. I hope this helps some.
Can I omit the ham and make this vegetarian?
Hi Kathleen. Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can omit the ham and make this vegetarian. I would suggest adding a bit more arugula if you do so. Happy cooking.
Is it possible to bake this crustless?
Hi Peggy- Thanks for reaching out and for reading my blog. You could make this recipe crustless which would technically make it a frittata instead of a quiche. You would need to put it in a similar-sized pan or baking dish instead of a removable bottom tart pan and watch the cooking time as it will be less than a quiche. I have a great spinach frittata recipe on my blog that you should check out as well, it is another favorite.
What kind of ham is it a ham you would cooked or 4 ounces of cooked ham . Thanks hope to hear from you
Hi Sharon- Thanks for reaching out. I use sliced black forest ham from the deli counter (prepackaged ham works just fine). But if you have fresh ham on hand, you can use that as well. Either works perfectly.
This looks delicious and perfect for a wedding shower. Does the crust need to be baked ahead of time then the filling added?
Hi Melia- Thanks for reading my blog and reaching out. this is a favorite recipe of mine, been making forever. No, the crust does not need to be blind baked beforehand. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I do.
I know you specified a homecrust was best, but if I am in a time crunch, is a 9” round frozen piecrust from the grocery store a suitable substitute?
Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can absolutely use a store made crust if you have a brand you like. It is a very personal, I’m picky about crusts, but either work just fine. The cooking time may be slightly different, so just keep an eye on it.
Happy cooking.
Andrea
Hi there. Just read your recipe of Ham Gruyere Arugula dish. I would like to try to make this tonight, since I have ham and arugula handy in my fridge. Please confirm that I do not need to cook the fresh arugula, simply add this to the mix together with the ham (on top of the sprinkled Gruyere cheese)? Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks for reaching out. You do not need to cook the arugula before. Sprinkle cheese on the bottom of the tart followed by the ham and the chopped arugula. Make sure to spread out evenly. Pour rte egg mixture on top and bake. Enjoy!