LUNCH PIE, AKA QUICHE, WITH TOULOUSE SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

Lunch Pie, aka Quiche, with Toulouse Sausage and Spinach image

In the 1970s, when everyone and their sisters and brothers became enchanted with French cooking, with Julia Child leading the way, quiche became the savory custard pie. The classic, quiche Lorraine, made with bacon and Gruyère cheese to enrich the custard, enjoyed star status as an elegant staple for brunch or for a first course in a multitiered dinner à la français. Variations in great numbers soon followed, and quiche in one or another guise turned into a favorite on buffet tables and appetizer menus. Here, with Toulouse sausage and a green splotch of spinach, the lovable custard-in-a-crust reinvents itself into an uncomplicated light dinner. Even though it is easier to purchase a prepared pastry crust, to settle for that is to miss the flaky, unctuous mouth delight of a homemade one. A food processor provides a quick, simple, and almost hands-free way to make an exceptional crust. A removable-bottom tart pan, such as the type the French would use for quiche and sweet dessert tarts, makes it easy to present the pie standing alone rather than in a dish, which is more awkward to serve from.

Yield makes one 9- to 10-inch pie, serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

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Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chilled water
2 cups packed coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
1/4 pound Toulouse Sausage (page 32), crumbled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne paper
2 cups coarsely grated melting cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmentaler, Fontina, or Monterey jack

Steps:

To make the crust, place the 1 1/4 cups of flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once to mix. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and scatter over the flour. Pulse until the mixture is somewhat crumbly. Add the water and pulse again until the mixture adheres when squeezed between your fingers. Gather the dough into a loose ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Press into a smooth disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round about 2 inches larger than a 9- to 10-inch tart pan. Transfer the round to the pan, easing it into the bottom and up the sides. Fold in any excess dough hanging above the top and press it against the pan so it adheres. Prick the crust all across the bottom with a fork.
Bake until barely golden on the bottom and around the edges, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside, leaving the oven on.
To make the filling, rinse the spinach and shake off the excess water, leaving the spinach slightly moist. Place in a microwave-safe bowl or in a sauté pan. Cover and place in the microwave oven, or cover and cook on the stove top over medium heat until wilted but still bright green, 1 to 2 minutes by either method. Let cool, squeeze out the remaining moisture, and set aside.
Add just enough oil to a small sauté pan to film the bottom and place over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break up the clumps, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and spread the sausage across the bottom of the partially baked crust.
Combine the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in the cheese and stir in the spinach. Pour the custard mixture into the crust.
Bake until the filling puffs up and is golden on top and a fork inserted in the center comes out clean but still a little moist, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.