Crab Quiche

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The Pampered Chef

Crab Quiche 

1 7 1/2-ounce boxed, refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature, fitted into deep dish baker
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, the best available, undrained
4 ounces diced shallots or sweet onion
8 ounces grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons Flour
3 jumbo eggs
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice, preferably fresh,
2 teaspoon old bay seasoning more or less, to taste
additional flour, for preparing quiche dish

Step 1. Place the shallots (or onion), cheese and flour in mixing bowl.
Step 2. Using two forks, toss, as you would a salad, until shallots and cheese are evenly coated in the flour.
Step 3. Using a spatula, fold in the crabmeat, just enough to evenly incorporate it into the cheese mixture. You don't want to break up or mash the big lumps of crabmeat.
Step 4. Sprinkle a light coating of flour evenly over bottom of prepared pastry shell.
Gently spoon the crabmeat mixture into shell. Distribute the mixture evenly, mounding it slightly towards the center, but do not compress the mixture or press down. You want it to remain light and airy.
Step 5. In a 1-quart measuring bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and old bay.
Slowly drizzle the cream mixture over and around the top surface of the crab mixture. Go very slowly, so as to give the liquid all the time it needs tto drizzle down into the cracks and crevasses of the light and airy crab mixture.
Step 6. The quiche is now ready to bake on center rack of preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.
Quiche will be golden brown, puffed throughout and a knife inserted into the center will come out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on rack, about 30-60 minutes, prior to slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.

Asiago Cheese, Polenta and Mushroom Pie

My friend Michele Muska sent me this book as a get well wish, for when I had an ankle replacement earlier this year.  Her pie is on the cover.  The book is "Where Women Cook: pie ography."  by Jo Packham.  The basis of my recipe was from Page 42 "Tomato & Caramelized Onion Pie.  I can't eat tomatoes, so I improvised a bit.

One sweet onion, chopped

about 3T of olive oil in a pan, add onions and cook, till the onions are golden.  To caramelize, add a teaspoon of sugar and a tad of butter, and stir.

Cooked Polenta (the entire package) from Trader Jose, and a bag of Crimini mushrooms

Have you seen this butter in stores?  Tuscan style.  I use it in very small quantities, for added flavor

Asiago cheese, grate, or chop up into small pieces and set aside

Using a potato masher, mash the polenta, add a touch of water, and microwave it about 1 minute, then check to see how it is sofening up. You want it sort of soft.

To the onions, add the Crimini mushrooms and sautee

Yum, chopped garlic, all ready to go.  I used about a tablespoon

And instead of using a pie dish, I used a 9x13 glass pan.  I sprayed the bottom of the pan with PAM olive oil spray.  Line the bottom of the pan with the Polenta

Mushrooms and onions, and I added a few strips of pre-cooked bacon that I chopped up.  You can leave this out, if you are going for a vegetarian dish

Add the onions and mushroom mixture to the top of the polenta

Then spoon the Asiago cheese on the top

Cook in the oven at 400 for about 25-30 minutes.  Serve hot.