Crab-Meat Quiche

Crab-Meat Quiche
Evan Sung for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour, with pre-made dough
Rating
4(346)
Comments
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A proper quiche (also known as a tarte salée, or savory open pie) should have really good pastry and contain a soft, tender eggy custard. It should be light enough to serve as a first course, or in larger portions for a simple main course. It should be something to sing about. This is a rosy bisque-like shellfish quiche with a handful of crab meat (use shrimp or lobster if you like).

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Short-crust dough (see recipe), rolled and chilled in a 9½-inch tart pan
  • 1small red pepper
  • 3large eggs
  • 2teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1teaspoon paprika
  • Pinch cayenne
  • 1and ¼ cups heavy cream
  • 1teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
  • 2teaspoons slivered chives
  • 6ounces cooked crab meat, or use chopped cooked shrimp or lobster
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

333 calories; 22 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 463 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bake prepared dough at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Patch any small holes with leftover dough. Cool.

  2. Step 2

    Set red pepper in the flames of a stovetop gas burner turned to high. Turn with tongs until skin is blackened, 5 to 7 minutes, then cool. Peel, remove seeds and veins, and slice into ¼-inch strips.

  3. Step 3

    Make the custard: in mixing bowl, beat eggs, mustard, salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne. Whisk in cream and herbs. Set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Set tart pan on a baking sheet. Spread crab meat evenly over bottom of pastry. Arrange red pepper strips over crab meat. Beat custard once more and carefully pour into tart shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden and custard is set. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
346 user ratings
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Comments

Fish and cheese mix quite deliciously. E.g., lox and cream cheese. Or thousands of other combinations. Many of them eaten and enjoyed in Italy.

Folks. Please. There is no real "rule" about cheese and seafood, unless you are in Italy. (and even then, for the brave, rules are made to be broken!). Plenty of other cuisines mix seafood and cheese. French: Mussels with Blue Cheese, Coquelle St. Jacque, etc. Greek: Shrimp baked with Feta and Tomatoes Mexico: Fish and/or Shrimp Tacos or Enchiladas, The US: Southern Hot Crab Dip, Salmon and Cream Cheese, Tuna Casserole, and many more! Food is made to be enjoyed. Defund the Food Police!

Yummy! I substituted leftover SALMON for the crab -- it had been cooked in a fines herbes, so I dropped the chives, added more fines herbes and fresh parsley as well.

Also left out the mustard and reduced the cream a bit -- because I drizzled creme fraische on top of all before pouring in the egg mixture. Next time I might add some cooked vidalias, as well. Maybe a cup?

No leftovers.... :)

We charred the pepper on an outdoor grill, since we have an electric stove top, and used a pate brisee shell, since I had a homemade one in the freezer. I’ve made this once before, when I added things like sautéed leeks, and the crab was overpowered. This time I kept it spare, and the tarragon sang. I also topped it with toasted, sliced almonds, since i remember my mom doing that with a crab quiche for a ladies’ meeting in the late 60s. Really nice.

I made this and it was delicious although I think there was too much liquid. I used 8oz. of crab, bumped up the eggs to 5 because I was using my chickens' eggs which are a big smaller than commercial eggs. I used 1 cup cream and 1/4 cup milk as another commenter suggested. Next time, I'll do 1 cup cream only. I also sauteed a bunch of scallions and added that, which I would recommend.

" cooked" crab meat? If it's canned as so many of us use, what's to cook? Isn't 30 minutes in the oven plenty of cooking? If not, please explain how we are to cook the crabmeat before using it.

some people use crab legs from fish mongers. They are raw. Not all use canned. IF canned, you are set.

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