Leek Parmesan Quiche (2024)

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“If you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek.”

– William Shakespeare, Henry V.

Leeks? Love ’em. (Just like lemons, ginger, chocolate, and all the other beloved foods I’ve already mentioned.) Red onions, scallions, shallots, leeks – I pretty much love them all. Which is funny because as a kid, I hated anything at all piquant, like onions or mustard or peppers. I guess my taste buds have grown up, because I can seriously get down for spicy these days.

Not that leeks are all that spicy. Much milder than other onions, and gorgeous when sauteed in butter, they are such a versatile member of the allium family. They were depicted in ancient Egyptian art, featured in ancient Roman feasts, and are, of course, one of the national symbols of Wales (read more here). Leeks also have some great health benefits, contain antioxidants, and can help give you good hair, clear skin, and strong nails. Yay! Let’s hear it for leeks!

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The Perfect Crust

So, we’ve got leeks covered, now let’s talk about that quiche crust.

I’ve been playing around with a couple of different versions of my pie crust recipes, trying to land on the perfect shell to hold all of this quichy goodness. I wanted something sturdy-but-flaky, leak-proof, and needing no blind baking.

I’m delighted to say that this crust is THE ONE. By adding a little bit of white whole wheat flour (extra protein) and upping the ice water a smidge (because wheat flour absorbs more water than all-purpose), it helped with the structure and sturdiness of the shell. The dough handled like a dream, didn’t tear easily or get soggy, and the final product tasted really, really good. This is a crust that lets the custard ingredients shine while still adding its own special, subtle something.

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Best of all, it’s super easy to make. So long as you keep it chill (pun intended) and don’t take an eon to roll it out, it will do you proud. I’m also thinking you could pretty confidently swap out regular whole wheat flour for the white whole wheat flour, though it would probably lend a stronger wheat flavor and darker color. If you decide to try that, let us all know how it works out.

Tips

  • Chill the dough and chill the rolled-out shell.
  • Egg to cream ratio – a lot of people swear by the 1:2 ratio by weight, e.g. 1 egg (roughly 2 ounces) to 1/2 cup milk (roughly 4 ounces) – but I almost always boost my egg count and have yet to turn out a rubbery quiche.
  • Don’t overbake – keep a slight jiggle in the middle.
  • Using fresh thyme makes a big difference in this recipe, flavor-wise.
  • You can use all whole milk, all half-and-half, all cream, or a combo of any of them – just know that the higher the fat content of the dairy, the thicker and firmer your quiche will be.
  • If you do use all milk, you may want to up the grated Parmesan cheese to a full cup.
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Reality Bakes

My first quiche crust experiment didn’t work. At all. The dough tore like crazy when I was rolling it out, even though chilled. I blind baked it just to see what would happen and it turned into a greasy, bubbly mess. Oh, and did I mention that it shrunk like mad? Diagnosis? Too wet, too warm (even though I chilled it), and too soft. (I also have some new thoughts about blind baking, but I’ll save those for a future post.)

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Print Pin

This is the quiche recipe you didn’t know you were waiting for. Buttery leeks, parmesan cheese, and aromatic thyme in a creamy, silky custard, all supported in a flaky, no-leak crust that doesn’t need to be blind baked.

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Chilling time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Jen Leigh

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 7-8 tablespoons ice cold water

For the filling:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups leeks, chopped finely (white and pale green parts from 3-4 leeks)
  • 1 cup heavy cream*
  • 1/2 cup milk*
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
  • Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese*
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Crust:

  • Combine the flours and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process briefly to mix together. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is mealy, with pea-sized lumps of butter. Add the ice water slowly, with the processor going, just until the dough begins to come together. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface, knead just a few times, then shape into a 6-inch round. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

  • Unwrap the round and let it rest on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Pound it a couple of times with the rolling pin so that it spreads out a little, then roll out into a 12-inch circle (for a 9-inch pan).

  • Transfer the dough on your rolling pin to the quiche dish. Unroll the dough and let it sort of slump into the pan before carefully shaping it to fit snugly against the bottom and sides of the pan. Roll your rolling pin across the top to clear off the excess dough.

  • Chill the crust while you prepare the filling, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Quiche Filling:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  • Melt the butter in small pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped leeks and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browning, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

  • Whisk the heavy cream, milk, eggs, thyme, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, and about 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until well combined.

  • Spread leeks evenly over the base of the quiche shell. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the top.* (You might want to place shell in the oven on a baking sheet, then pour in the filling.) Bake at 375°F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the custard is set but still a tiny bit jiggly in the middle. Serve while still warm.

Notes

*If you’re going to be using all whole milk, or half-and-half, instead of heavy cream, you might want to up the grated Parmesan to a full cup.

*If you use a 9-inch tart pan instead of a pie pan, you will most likely have filling left over.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword leeks, parmesan, pie crust, quiche

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Did you make this recipe? Share! Tag @realitybakes1 on Instagram.

Leek Parmesan Quiche (2024)

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