Granite Inn's Lobster Quiche
by: Ed Hantz, Granite Inn, Rockland, ME
Crust
2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 stick butter, cold
3 heaping tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
6-8 tbsp ice water
Place flour, sugar, salt and butter cut into about 8 pieces in a food processor and process until the consistency of corn meal. Add the shortening and 2 tbsp. water. Pulse a couple of times, then add 2 more tbsp. water. Keep this up until the dough begins to stick together. Don’t over-process or the dough will become tough. Remove from processor and form a ball. Flatten ball and refrigerate in a zip-type bag for a couple of hours or overnight. When ready to roll out, let dough warm up until pliable. Roll out on a well-floured surface to form a thick crust. You should have plenty of dough. Lay into a 9” pie pan and trim to about an inch beyond the rim of the pan. Fold the edge of the crust up and inward and crimp with your fingers. (I like to build the crust to about ½ inch above the edge of the pan. This makes an extra deep pie.) The dough trimmings can be collected, rolled out again, and cut with cookie cutters into shapes to decorate the top of the quiche – a lobster-shaped cookie cutter works well.
Filling
½ slice of good, nutty bread
Zest of ½ lemon, grated
8 oz cooked lobster meat
1 tsp fresh tarragon
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp shallot, sliced and sautéed
2 cups Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
4 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt to taste
¼ cup almonds, slivered
Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the bread in a food processor and process until reduced to crumbs. Add the lemon, lobster, tarragon, pepper and shallot, and pulse 3-4 times to combine. Don’t over-process. Distribute over the crust and add the cheese. Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, mustard and salt until foamy. Pour into the crust. Sprinkle the almonds over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 300°F and cook for another 45-50 minutes or until centre is firm. Makes 8 servings.
This Issues Bed and Breakfast shared Gourmet Recipes