Recipe developed and contributed by Maureen Gualtieri
Quiche is just about the perfect food. But it’s especially perfect in the fall—substantial enough to see you through an afternoon of raking leaves or picking apples, but not as heavy as prime winter fare, the kind that makes you feel cozy and in need of a cup of tea in front of a fire! This month’s recipe is also a happy medium, combining the rich sweetness of caramelized onions, that sharp tang of blue cheese, and the mellow fruitiness of DFC’s new Mango Pear Maple chutney. Bound with eggy custard and cradled in a buttery crust, these elements come together to make a fabulous—and easy—fall lunch.
Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Chutney Quiche
(Yield: 1 9-inch quiche, 6-8 servings)
1/2 recipe pie dough (to make 1 bottom crust), or 1 pre-made frozen pie crust, thawed
4 eggs
1/4 c. light cream (10% or 18%)
1 sweet onion, sliced thinly and caramelized
75 g. blue cheese, crumbled
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 c. DFC’s Mango Pear Maple chutney
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your crust: Roll out your homemade dough and place it into a 9-inch pie pan, crimping the edges decoratively if you’re getting fancy. Poke the dough all over with a fork, then line the inside of the dough with tinfoil or parchment, and fill 2/3 of the way up with pie weights—dried beans work great here. (If using frozen storebought crust, thaw, then continue from the fork-poking step.) Bake the weighted crust in your preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool a bit.
If you haven’t already caramelized your onions, do so now: Trim your onion and slice it thinly along the root/top axis (that is, not in rings; they hold together better this way), then tip into a sturdy sauté pan. Drizzle with a glug of olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and cook on low, stirring periodically, for 60 to 90 minutes. (I like to knock this task off in the days before a recipe when I have a couple of hours or so to kill; you really can’t rush the caramelization process. To save even more time, you can mass caramelize a kilo or two of onions in a spare afternoon, and freeze them in portions to be thawed and used later!)
Once your onions are done and your crust cooled, grab a large bowl and crack your eggs into it. Add the cream and black pepper, and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.
On the bottom of your par-baked crust, dot about half of your DFC’s Mango Pear Maple chutney. Then scatter half of the caramelized onions evenly over top, then half of your blue cheese. Repeat all three ingredients to make a second layer. After whisking one last time, gently pour your egg filling over the onions, cheese, and chutney, making sure to go slow so the egg can settle among the bits. Pop the quiche back into the oven, and bake until set in the centre and brown around the edges of the filling, 30-35 minutes. When done, allow the quiche to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy warm or cold from the fridge, with a fresh side salad for a light lunch.
