For some reason, quiche always means Spring to me. Maybe summer. Do you have “seasonal” food, at least from a mood perspective? I went on another picnic today and instead of making sandwiches, I made this mini-quiche. Crabmeat and spring-time asparagus. Yummy!
Ingredients
for the crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped asparagus (leaving some tips for the top)
4-6 Ounces lump crab meat, divided
1/2 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
3 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan with cookie spray. Roll out pastry and place into pie plate; trim, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fold inside rim; flute edge if using pie plate. Prick all over with fork. Line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until rim is light gold. Let cool on rack. Turn oven down to 350F.
While crust is prebaking, in a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter until shimmering. Then sauté asparagus for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Brush shell with mustard; sprinkle with most of the asparagus (save the tips), then half the crabmeat, and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour into shell. Sprinkle with the remaining crabmeat, the reserved asparagus tips, the remaining cheese and the dill. Bake in center of 350F oven for 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Can be served warm or at room temperature.
