The preparation of French savory pie can be simple and quick, or it can be more complicated. What’s the quick and easy way? Use frozen pie crust.
The longer method? Start from scratch.
In my opinion, nothing beats a homemade buttery pie crust. But not everyone has that kind of time, so don’t let the crust put you off making French pie, it’s easy!
This mushroom crème brûlée recipe is slightly adapted from a recipe we found in a 2002 issue of Martha Stewart Magazine. I adapted my own method for blind baking the crust and simplified the instructions a bit.
This is a simple and straightforward recipe. You blind bake (pre-bake) a frozen crust, sauté chopped mushrooms and chives, top the crust with Gruyère cheese and cooked mushrooms, fill with an egg-cream-milk mixture, and bake until golden.
Sautéed Mushrooms
Mushrooms need to be sautéed first, not only to add flavor, but also because mushrooms release a lot of moisture when cooked, and if baked with raw mushrooms, the quiche will become soggy.
Shiitake mushrooms bring rich flavor
Whenever a recipe calls for mushrooms, I like to add some shiitake mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms are more expensive than regular mushrooms, but only a few are needed. Shiitake mushrooms have a very strong flavor that elevates any mushroom dish.
Mushroom French Pie
- Preparation time 15 minutes
- Cooking time 70 minutes
- Chill30 mins
- Total time taken 115 mins
- Servings6 to 8 servings
- Total output 1 quiche
Ingredients
- 1 pie dough, enough for one crust (see Pâte Brisée recipe)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced chives
- 1 pound assorted mushrooms, diced or sliced (add some shiitake mushrooms if you want a more flavorful taste)
- coarse salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
- pinch of nutmeg
- 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1.5 cups)
step
- Roll out the dough:Place the dough on a clean surface and gently roll into a 12-inch round. Line a 10 x 1 1/2-inch tart pan with rolled out dough. Trim edges. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes (you need to pre-freeze the dough or it will slide down the sides of the pan when cooking). Tips! If you are using a pre-frozen pie crust, skip this step.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pre-baked crust:Line the pie shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper, pressing into the bottom edge. Trim excess lining, but do not cut the foil or parchment paper too close to the crust, leaving enough room for easy removal. Fill it at least two-thirds full with baking weights – dry beans (I have a bag of pinto beans just for making pie weights), rice or aluminum pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper and weights. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork and return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until lightly golden. (The fork holes are to let out air) Place on a rack to cool while you make the filling.
- Sauté shallots and mushrooms:Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots for a minute, then add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have released their moisture and are browned, about 10 minutes.
- Make the filling:In a medium bowl add cream, milk and eggs and mix well. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Assemble French savory pie:Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent spills or leaks. Sprinkle half of the grated Gruyère cheese on the bottom of the tart crust. Spread mushrooms and chives evenly over cheese and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms and cheese in the dough.
- bake:Place the baking sheet with the tart tin in the oven and bake at 350°F until the center is completely set but still a little wobbly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Place on the grill and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
- 449Calories
- 31gtotal fat
- 13gsaturated fat
- 111mgcholesterol
Show full nutrition label
Nutritional information
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
- Calories449
- % Daily Value*
- total fat31g39%
- saturated fat13g66%
- cholesterol111mg37%
- sodium438mg19%
- total carbohydrates31g11%
- dietary fiber3g10%
- total sugar4g
- protein13g
- Vitamin C3mg15%
- calcium268mg21%
- iron2mg13%
- Potassium350mg7%
