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Parisian Breakfast: Quiche with Brussels Sprouts, Shallots, and Dill

by:
March  5, 2011
4.5
2 Ratings
Parisian Breakfast: Quiche with Brussels Sprouts, Shallots, and Dill
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

When my husband and I traveled to Paris last summer, we stayed in an apartment on the Rue de Laborde, a mere stone’s throw from bakeries and cafes that served lusciously savory quiches. Every morning, we rose early to buy a few slices for breakfast, returning to the apartment with our treasures so we could eat them quietly on the balcony. Ah, Paris, we miss you and your quiches—small morning miracles.

The reason I chose to invent a quiche with Brussels sprouts is because I truly believe they are the unsung heroes of winter. Lots of people are afraid of them. I used to be as well. Somewhere along the way, I discovered that when sautéed in enough butter, their bitterness completely melts away and you are left with a revelation. Add a couple shallots and suddenly this highly under-appreciated vegetable becomes sweet and aromatic. The small dash of white wine at the end gives a little zing to the layers of leaves. I can almost hear the sprouts dancing with glee in the pan.

Enjoy this quiche at any hour of the day (certainly!), but we especially relish eating it for breakfast. This way we can recall those summer mornings at “the Rue” where we had no worries for a week and nothing more important to think about other than how far to throw open the balcony windows. Bon Appétit! - SharonP
—SharonP

Test Kitchen Notes

This is an absolutely delicious quiche. Flakey buttery crust, and a great sweet/nutty/buttery/herby combination with the cheeses, herbs, and of course the Brussels sprouts. I either have a smaller dish or bigger sprouts, because I had more than I could fit into the quiche which was absolutely fine. I ate them while I cleaned and the quiche baked, they are a dish in their own right and I will make them again as a veggie side. I have never made a quiche with a batter before; the flour and baking powder add a loft and support to the quiche giving it a lightness that you don’t see in the usual egg-milk-cheese combo. It’s brilliant and this is how I will make my quiches from now on! - aargersi —aargersi

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the crust (adapted from Williams Sonoma)
  • 1+1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 4 tablespoons cold shortening, cut into small pieces
  • 5 tablespoons ice water
  • For the quiche mixture
  • 15 brussels sprouts
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8+1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
  • 1 tablespoon white wine
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 pinch dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded swiss cheese
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
Directions
  1. For the crust (adapted from Williams Sonoma)
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, butter, and shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs. While pulsing, pour the ice water in a stream into the processor until the dough comes together in a ball. You can also do all this by hand with a pastry cutter if you prefer.
  3. Remove the dough onto a floured board. It will be a bit sticky. With floured hands, form the dough into a disk about 6 inches in diameter. Wrap with cellophane and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
  4. After the dough has chilled, remove it from the fridge and place it back on the floured board. Flatten the disk with about 5-6 smacks of a rolling pin. Roll out into a circle about 1/8th of an inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. You should lift the dough a bit as you roll, and sprinkle with more flour if needed to keep it from sticking. Carefully transfer to a tart pan, pressing the dough into the bottom and sides. Fold any overhanging dough back into the sides of the pan to make the edges a bit thicker/sturdier. Place the tart pan in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
  5. Blind-bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take a large sheet of parchment paper (larger than the pan), place it onto the crust and cover with pie beads or dried beans. Make sure there is enough parchment paper sticking out to cover the edges of the tart as much as possible. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the parchment paper with the beans, and allow the pan to cool slightly.
  1. For the quiche mixture
  2. Trim the stem of each sprout, discarding any outer leaves that fall off or become loose. Rinse the sprouts and cut them in half. In a covered sauté pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the shallots, ¼ tsp salt, black pepper, and 1/8 tsp of garlic powder, and sauté on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and toss gently to coat them. Re-arrange them so that they are cut side down in the pan. Cover the pan and allow them to cook and get golden for about 15 minutes. Add the white wine, raise the heat to medium, and allow to cook, uncovered, for about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Add the heavy cream and milk and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ½ tsp salt, white pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, thyme, flour, baking powder, and grated pecorino cheese and whisk again. The mixture will have small lumps – that is ok! Add the chopped chives, dill, swiss and cheddar cheeses, and blend thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared tart pan.
  4. Spoon the brussels sprouts with the shallots on top of the batter, ensuring that they are spread out across the entire pan. Some of the sprouts will sink, but those that are resting on the surface should be positioned cut-side up.
  5. Place the tart pan on top of a baking sheet to catch any spillage in the oven (there really shouldn’t be, even with that much liquid, but it will save you a mess if it happens). Bake the tart for about 40 minutes. It should be puffy, golden, and set in the middle.
  6. Allow the quiche to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting. It will shrink slightly. Enjoy!
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14 Reviews

shortnsweet
shortnsweet March 9, 2013
I'll be hosting a champagne brunch next week for my roomate's 22nd, and this looks like a lovely savory dish--especially because she adores brussels sprouts. Unfortunately I'll be doing all of the cooking and cleaning in preparation, so I'm looking for shortcuts where appropriate--do you think this tart could be made with store-bought puff pastry?
 
John F.
John F. February 3, 2013
I have been looking for some new and unusual recipes to make with eggs. This looks like a good candidate for us to try. I never really thought of using Brussels Sprouts in an egg dish, but this looks and reads like ti should be a very tasty meal.
 
Crafty F.
Crafty F. January 18, 2012
I attempted to adapt this recipe to be low-fat and crustless... that was a fail. BUT - The part of the recipe that I DID follow word-for-word was the preparation of the brussels sprouts and shallots. Holey Moley!!! so delicious. So good, in fact, that I blogged about that portion of the recipe (crediting the genius of SharonP). I think I may have to go whole hog and duplicate this quiche just for one blissful bite! See post re: the sprouts here: http://craftyfork.com/2012/01/18/garlic-brussels-sprouts-with-shallots/
 
Blueollie
Blueollie December 17, 2011
This was devine! Always looking for interesting ways to incorporate brussel sprouts; I just love them. I had to make a few substitutions, based on what I had on hand: herbs de provence for thyme, 1/2sm ciopinno for shallots, fresh garlic for powder (though I see why powder is better, I had to be super careful not to burn garlic), dry vermouth for wine, all milk, mixture of asiago, goat and cheddar cheeses and added rosemary to sautéed onions and garlic. Poured the fabulous filling into a whole wheat crust I had made on another occasion. The aroma while it baked was amazing. And new to me to use flour and baking soda but boy, did thay make a light and fluffy quiche. The hubby had thirds. Will definitely be adding to my collection. Too freaking good! Thank you for sharing. One question, my quiche browned quite a bit and had to cover after 30 mins. Was 375 the proper temp? I saw that it was called for with the baking crust and assumed it was the same for baking the final dish
 
user 6.
user 6. March 8, 2011
I am ordinarily in agreement with Kim, and especially so when it comes to brussels sprouts. However, your beautiful prose and obvious enthusiasm have convinced me that this quiche deserves a try!
 
SharonP
SharonP March 8, 2011
Thank you! I'd love to hear what you think after trying it.
 
kimba
kimba March 8, 2011
My childhood me (who hated Brussel Sprouts due to a long family tradition of boiling them to an ooey gooey consistency with notes of sulphur) might have even wanted to give this egg-y buttery brussel sprout goodness a shot!

Thank you for this, I can't wait to try it.

 
SharonP
SharonP March 8, 2011
There is nothing quite like butter to turn something magical, is there?
 
Attila T.
Attila T. March 6, 2011
Sharon

Wahoo what a talent.
 
SharonP
SharonP March 6, 2011
Thanks, Dad (wink,wink:)
 
Midge
Midge March 6, 2011
What a lovely memory. Genius to put brussel sprouts in a tart!
 
SharonP
SharonP March 6, 2011
Thanks Midge! What could be better than buttery sprouts in a quiche?
 
totalnoms
totalnoms March 6, 2011
This recipe looks great, and beautiful photos! I have also recently gotten into Brussels sprouts, and am always looking for fun and delicious ways to cook them. Nice recipe!
 
SharonP
SharonP March 6, 2011
Thank you so much. My husband lovingly takes the photos of my kitchen triumphs. We make a great team. I hope you enjoy your new-found brussels sprouts "revelation" with this recipe.