~
Red Truck Bakery’s
Virginia Country Ham Quiche
with Gruyere cheese / Makes one 9" quiche
This comforting dish is a crowd-pleaser. Dotted with classic Virginia country ham, which is salt- cured and aged on the dry side, it gives visitors a real taste of the South. For more than fifty years, Tom and his family at Calhoun’s Country Hams in nearby Culpeper County have been crafting what I consider to be the best country ham around. The pork hinds start off in well-spiced brine, so they boast a rich flavor, but they aren’t packed full of preservatives and excess sodium. Calhoun’s ships nationwide, if you want to replicate our recipe exactly to enjoy how well country ham pairs with the nuttiness of the Gruyère.
1⁄2 recipe Savory Pie and Quiche Crust dough (below), or 1 store-bought crust
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into medium dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1⁄4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1 1⁄2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup coarsely chopped Virginia country ham
1 cup coarsely chopped Black Forest ham or other smoked cooked ham
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1. Roll out the pie dough to a round 11 inches in diameter. Gently pick up the dough without stretching it and lay it in a 9-inch fluted metal or ceramic quiche pan, letting the sides of the round droop over the pan edge while tucking the dough with your fingers against the bottom of the pan. Fold the overhang back over the edge toward the inside of the pan, squeezing it together as you turn the pan to give the top of the crust a bit more thickness. If using a fluted metal pan, run your rolling pin over the pan, pressing to trim the dough against the top edge of the pan, and remove the excess dough.
2. Brush the bottom of the crust with the mustard. Chill until ready to use.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a raised wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
4. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, lower the heat and add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until golden. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg and whisk again to combine.
6. Place the chilled crust on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cooled onions evenly over the bottom. Evenly spread half the Gruyère and the Virginia country ham, Black Forest ham, and scallions over the onions. Finish with the remaining cheese. Whisk the egg mixture one last time to distribute the spices and pour it into the crust to about 1⁄4 inch below the edge.
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the baking sheet after 20 minutes, until the egg mixture is set and the crust is golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Savory Pie and Quiche Crust dough
Makes dough for two 10-inch crusts
3 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3⁄4 cup (1 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1⁄4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1 large egg yolk
1⁄2 teaspoon dried sage or chopped fresh rosemary
1⁄2 cup cold water, plus more as needed
1. In the large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the chilled cubed butter and shortening; cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using your fingers, two knives, or a pastry blender until broken down into pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and the sage and mix until combined. Gradually add the cold water and mix until the dough comes together. If it’s crumbly, add a bit more water 1 teaspoon at a time. If it seems sticky, add a bit more flour.
2. Divide the dough in half and form it into two discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap or put them in individual freezer bags, and chill for 30 minutes before use, or freeze the dough for up to 1 month, thawing for 2 hours in the refrigerator before using.
~
From the Red Truck Bakery Cookbook. Copyright © 2018 by Brian Noyes. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Andrew Thomas Lee. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. crownpublishing.com clarksonpotter.com
