Crab Quiche in a Crispy Potato Crust
Why I Love This Recipe
Although the directions are for a quiche made in a square pan I made this in a round tart pan to serve as a main course for lunch with a fruit salad.
Ingredients You'll Need
Crust
3 cups frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound crab meat(cleaned, cooked and finely chopped)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a 9 - 10-inch tart pan (with removable bottom) with nostick cooking spray.
For the crust: Combine the potatoes, the butter, 1/3 cup cheese, 1 Tablespoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Toss to blend. Press the potato mixture onto the bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown and starting to crisp, about 20 - 30 minutes. Remove crust from oven, set on a rack and cool while making filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350̊ F.
In a large bowl combine the eggs, the cream, the parsley, 3 Tablespoons cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and seafood seasoning. Whisk to blend. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and chopped crab. Pour shrimp mixture into crust. Return to oven and bake until the filling puffs and custard is set, about 40 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven, set on rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before removing outer ring and slicing into bars or squares of desired size.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
