LEEK QUICHE

MAKES 1 (10-INCH) QUICHE

I MASTERED THIS QUICHE in cooking school in Paris and I still love to make it today. The tart has three distinctive components: the dough, the filling, and the egg mixture, good things to perfect! The quiche is delicious for breakfast and lunch at home with any number of filling variations: mushrooms, spinach, onions, and so on. The tart comes together pretty quickly if you make the dough in advance. You’ll only need the white and pale green leek parts for the quiche, so save the dark greens for stock.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, plus more for the pan

3 large leeks (white and pale green parts), diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Flour (for the pan and rolling the dough)

Tart Dough (here)

½ cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

Pinch grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper

¾ cup grated Parmigiano

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sweat the leeks and garlic with salt and pepper until soft, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the parsley, then set the leek mixture aside to cool.

Meanwhile, butter and flour a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, then set it on a baking sheet. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Fit the dough into the tart pan, trim off any excess, and poke the bottom with a fork in several places to let air escape and help the dough keep its shape while cooking.

Line the tart shell with a circle of parchment paper and fill with dried chickpeas, beans, or pie weights. Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans and bake until the crust is golden and cooked through, another 10 minutes.

When the tart shell is ready, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, yolk, nutmeg, and 2 pinches each of salt and pepper. Spread the leek mixture evenly in the shell, then gently pour in the milk mixture, leaving the top of the crust exposed. Do not overfill! Top with the cheese and bake until the filling is set and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.