Author Notes
I don't just love the taste of brussels sprouts, I also love how they look. They hold their shape (mostly) during almost every cooking method which reminds me of people who look great at the end of a long working day, no matter what they faced at work. (Not like me, trust me.) Last night I started wondering what they would look like on top of a quiche, all displayed in their loveliness, like little poplar trees. So I made these little quiche-tarts this morning for breakfast using a tart crust recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum's cookbook, "The Pie and Pastry Bible". So they're not just for dinner now. Tip: I bake my tarts on a baking stone that's been preheated in the oven for about an hour. —TheWimpyVegetarian
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Ingredients
- Tart Shell
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4 ounces
unsalted butter, very cold
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6.5 ounces
all-purpose flour
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1/4 teaspoon
salt
-
1/8 teaspoon
baking powder
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2 1/2 tablespoons
ice water
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1 1/2 teaspoons
apple cider vinegar
- Quiche filling
-
1 tablespoon
olive oil
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2
yellow onions, sliced
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1/4 teaspoon
fennel seed
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2-3 pieces
bacon, cut into lardons
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1 cup
grated gruyere cheese
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1 tablespoon
grated parmesan cheese
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8
brussels sprouts
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2
large eggs
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1/2 cup
whole milk
-
1/2 cup
heavy cream
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1/8 teaspoon
nutmeg (or more to sprinkle on top)
-
1/4 teaspoon
salt
-
1/8 teaspoon
fresh ground pepper
Directions
- Tart Shell
-
Preheat the oven to 375 with a baking stone. Mix dry ingredients in a food processor to evenly distribute the baking powder and salt in the flour.
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Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Add water and vinegar and pulse only a few times until it looks like very coarse cornmeal.
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Check the dough by pinching it. If it holds together when pinched, you're done. The dough should not be starting to pull together into a ball in the bowl. This is a sign you've mixed it too much.
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Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
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Remove from the refrigerator and roll out. Fill your tart pans, dock with a fork and chill for another minimum 30 minutes.
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Fill with pie weights and bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. See aside to cool.
- Quiche filling
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Saute onions and fennel seed in olive oil until the onions are a deep golden brown. Set aside. Saute bacon until crisp. Set aside. Slice the brussels sprouts in thin slices. Set aside.
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Whisk eggs and milks together in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper.
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When the tart shells come out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 450F.
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Assemble the tarts. Lay the onions and fennel seed in the bottom topped with the bacon. Arrange the brussels sprouts on the top in a pattern. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the filling. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 350F for 5 minutes. Spread a little grated cheese on top in the middle of each tart and bake another 10 minutes at 350F.
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Remove from oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
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