Description
This Smoked Salmon Spinach Quiche with Goat Cheese is a savory, elegant dish perfect for brunch or a light dinner. Featuring a flaky pie crust filled with smoked salmon, fresh spinach, creamy goat cheese, and a rich custard base made from eggs, heavy cream, and creme fraiche, it's a delightful blend of flavors and textures with herbal notes from fresh dill.
Ingredients
Pie Crust (Optional Homemade)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 1 frozen pie crust (optional, if not making homemade crust)
- 6 ounces smoked salmon, sliced
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup creme fraiche
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the crust and quiche.
- Prepare Crust: If using a premade crust, follow package instructions for pre-baking. For homemade, combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut cold, cubed butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Form Dough: Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until dough forms. Shape into ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll and Line: Roll out chilled dough on floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Press into dish, trim excess, and prick base with fork.
- Pre-bake Crust: Line crust with parchment and fill with weights or dried beans. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove weights and parchment, then let cool slightly.
- Assemble Filling: Layer smoked salmon evenly over crust bottom, then scatter chopped spinach on top.
- Mix Custard: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, creme fraiche, crumbled goat cheese, fresh dill, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Fill and Bake: Pour egg mixture evenly over salmon and spinach. Bake quiche in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until filling is set and golden on top.
- Finish and Garnish: Let quiche cool slightly. Add dollops of creme fraiche on top if desired and garnish with fresh dill sprigs before serving.
Notes
- This recipe can be made with either a premade crust or a homemade crust, depending on your preference and time available.
- If you want a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream, but the quiche may be less rich.
- You can prepare the dough a day in advance and refrigerate to enhance flavor and texture.
- Make sure not to overbake the quiche to avoid a rubbery texture; the filling should be just set in the center.
- For an extra flaky crust, ensure your butter is very cold when cutting into the flour.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling dough if making homemade crust)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes (12-15 minutes pre-baking crust + 30-35 minutes baking quiche)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
