Need wine to go with your Mother’s Day feast? Chef Tim has a very special Mother’s Day Chardonnay for your consideration…
Mother’s Day food traditions have forever been a favorite for me. Perhaps this is because most of these dishes fall into the brunch category, and I could eat breakfast in place of any meal of the day. There have been many nights after closing up at the restaurant that I find myself opening my fridge at home and reaching for a carton of eggs. Whether it’s an omelet or just a few cooked sunny-side up with grilled sourdough, eggs never seem to disappoint. A quiche is one of those classics that can be made ahead of time and can easily find its way onto a plate no matter the time of the day, and as an entrée for a Mother’s Day Brunch, it is always a hit.
This is a recipe I adapted for a gluten-free friend who wanted a velvety, cheesy quiche but couldn’t have a traditional crust. When prepared in a cast iron skillet, you get these wonderfully crispy hash browns that make a wonderful base for your eggs.
I hope you enjoy making this recipe.
Happy Mother’s Day,
Chef Ryan Lockhart
Mother’s Day Cast Iron Quiche with Arugula, Chèvre, and a Hash Brown Crust
Ingredients
4 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled
2 medium-sized shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T lemon zest
2 T olive oil (or vegetable oil)
4 T unsalted butter
6 farm fresh eggs
1 1/2 cups of half and half
1 T tarragon, chopped
1 tsp mustard powder
8oz soft chèvre
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, Minced
2 cups arugula
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
*For this recipe we will be using a 10” Cast Iron Skillet
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. After peeling the potatoes, soak them in cold water to prevent browning. Grate them using the large holes on a box grater or the grating disc on a food processor. Rinse the grated potatoes until the water runs clear. Drain and transfer the potatoes to a doubled layer of paper towels or a clean lint-free kitchen towel, and spread out as thinly and evenly as possible. Cover with another towel and begin pressing out excess water. After pressing out the moisture, sprinkle the potatoes with about 1 tsp of salt and gently mix.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over a medium heat. ***At this point be extremely careful as the cast iron will start to get very hot.*** Using a spatula, spread the melted oil and butter mixture to cover the bottom and the edges of the skillet. In stages, start pressing the shredded potatoes into the bottom of the skillet to create a crust eventually up along the edges. At this point the potatoes will have started to brown. Carefully place the skillet into the oven and let the potatoes start to bake together, about 7-8 minutes.
For the egg-custard mixture, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the half and half, mustard powder, lemon zest, and tarragon and mix together. Melt the remaining butter in another sauté pan and begin sweating the shallots, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño until soft and slightly translucent. Set the vegetable mixture aside and pull the cast iron skillet out of the oven. Again being very careful of the hot pan, crumble half of the chèvre over the potatoes. Cover this with the vegetable mixture, then add half of the arugula in a layer over this. Pour the egg-custard mixture into the skillet being careful to leave about a 1/4” of space from the top of the side. Add the remaining chèvre and arugula, pressing it down gently to soak up some of the egg-custard mixture.
Move the skillet into the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the custard is set. Remove the quiche and let it cool to room temperature before cutting.
This reheats easily and can be made ahead of time.
