Bacon Latice Blanket

A certain turkey basting technique has been popping up in magazines and on the Internet and Lovey and I both have come across it lately.  Bacon is woven into a lattice-work 'blanket' then draped over the breast of the turkey. I made a rather tiny one since we had a small roasting chicken.  I used a high quality, thick-sliced smoked bacon.  The bacon we selected was very short slices but it worked for our chicken. Using normal sized slices will make your blanket larger for a turkey


 
I decided to try this new-to-me technique. 

Start by covering a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Begin 'weaving' by placing about 7 to 8 slices of bacon horizontally, sides touching, on the parchment paper.  

Starting with the top slice, from the left side fold the top slice back half way. Repeat with every other piece of bacon.  Now, lay a piece of bacon vertically against the left edge of the horizontal pieces.  Fold the horizontal pieces back over the vertical piece.  

Now, beginning with the horizontal second from the top, fold that back from the right edge over to the left.  Repeat this with every other horizontal piece under that slice. Place a vertical slice up against the first vertical slice.  Fold the horizontal pieces back over into their normal position.

Repeat this beginning with turning the top horizontal slice from right to left, and repeat with every other slice.  Tuck a vertical piece up against the previous slice, then fold the horizontal slices back to their normal position.

Repeat this process until you have a tightly woven blanket.

This is how our little blanket turned out.

I have also used it as a top to a quiche.  I baked the "blanket" before placing it on top of the quiche.

 

Quiche Florentine

 Lovey and I adore spinach quiche.  The only downside to my spinach quiche was always the amount of liquid the spinach produced which gave us a watery quiche with a soggy crust.

I took two approaches that might solve the problem.  One was to steam the spinach first (I used to just throw it raw into the pie shell before adding the egg mixture) then chop it up

 Next, drain, drain, drain.  This means that I have to plan a little further ahead for the draining time. I wrap it in a piece of old tee shirt (clean of course) and squeeze.  Then I let it sit in a strainer until time to use.



The other thought was to blind bake the bottom crust with a light layer of the shredded Gruyère on it.  I use a deep dish pie plate for the quiche.

Once the crust had cooled the cheese firmed up, providing somewhat of a barrier between the custard and the crust.  This is also a step that you'll need to perform prior to making your custard.


 
Next, I sautéed some onion until golden brown.  These were set aside until time to assemble the quiche.


 
 This fond from the onions is pure flavor.  I used this same saucepan to prepare the custard.

 In that saucepan, beat your eggs seasoned with a good pinch of salt, and a light grating of nutmeg.

Slowly add the hot milk, adding a little at a time to temper the eggs, (I heat the milk up in the microwave) beating constantly with a whisk.  Continue stirring over low heat until the custard begins to thicken. This can take awhile depending on your cooktop. Low and slow is best; you don’t want scorched or curdled eggs.


 

 The saucepan is removed from the heat and the chopped spinach is folded in along with the onions and 1/2 of the remaining cheese.

 Pour the custard into the pie shell.  Sprinkle with the remaining grated Gruyère.

 Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden.



I was very pleased and even more so, Lovey was pleased.  This resulted in very little liquid after baking.  Serve with a tossed salad and you have a nice meal for brunch or dinner.

Quiche Florentine
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 - 16 ounce package baby spinach
Pie crust for single crust pie (I usually use boxed Pillsbury)
3/4 pound Gruyère cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. butter
1 small yellow onion
6 large eggs
pinch salt
pinch ground nutmeg or several grates of fresh
2-1/2 cups milk




Method:
Rinse the spinach and place in a saucepan with a little water and sweat over low heat until it is all limp.  Drain and chop.  Place chopped spinach in a colander over a bowl.  From time to time toss and press liquids out (any time you pass by).

Roll out crust and fit in a 9" deep dish pie plate.  Grate the cheese & spread enough cheese over the bottom of the pie crust to form a thin layer.  Set extra cheese aside.  Place pie plate in freezer to firm up the crust.

Preheat oven to 450°F.  

Pull crust out of freezer and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.  Lower heat of oven to 375°F.

Peel onion and slice in half through the root.  Place one half, cut side down.  Instead of slicing on the root end begin slicing from the side of the half.  Slice them as thin as you can.  Repeat with the other half of onion.  Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.  Once butter has stopped foaming add onions and slowly sauté until golden brown.  Remove onions from pan and set aside.

In that same saucepan, off heat, beat the eggs with the pinch of salt and grated nutmeg. Heat the milk up in the micro-wave.  Gradually add hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking until combined.  Continue to stir constantly, over low heat, until the custard slightly thickens.  

Remove from heat and add the spinach and the onions.  Fold in 1/2 of the remaining cheese.

Pour mixture into pie crust and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake in a 375°F. oven for 30 minutes or until the custard is set and top is golden.  A sharp knife inserted into the middle should come out clean.  You can serve immediately.

Shrimp and Leek Quiche

It's hard to beat the creamy custard of a quiche.  Like an omelette, you can put practically anything in them and they will taste great.



Making it with fresh jumbo shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico makes it even better.  During a recent trip to Corpus my dearest friend Karen turned me on to her source for fresh seafood in Corpus.  Lorenzo Diaz, also known as The Shrimp Pimp, provides free delivery of the freshest brought-in-on-the-boat-that morning, seafood.  These 10-12 count shrimp were beautiful and only cost $7.50 per pound.  I brought plenty home with me.

That sounded like a paid advertisement.



The first order of business was to get the pie crust ready and in the pan.  I rolled the dough out for a 9" deep dish pie pan.  I then placed it in the refrigerator until I was ready to fill it.




I grated the Gruyere, chopped the leaks and prepared the shrimp by peeling, de-veining and cutting into bite-size pieces.  Lorenzo, the Shrimp Pimp was happy to pull the heads off for me.  Note:  If you are not traveling with your shrimp, take the heads!!!  You can make some great stock with them.



I sauteed the leeks in a little butter - olive oil mixture.

This is the olive oil I used.  Whenever possible, Lovey and I support products made in Texas.  Lovey picked this up at the Farmer's Market in Dallas.




As the leeks begin to soften, add the shrimp and toss quickly for one minute only.  You don't want the shrimp to cook through; just give them a little flavor.  Pull the leeks and shrimp off the heat and set aside to cool off a bit.


Preheat the oven to 375F°.  Sprinkle the cheese across the bottom of the pie shell.


 
 Beat your egg with the salt, a little cayenne to make it interesting and a light grating of nutmeg.



Heat the milk to the point that it has bubbles all around the edges of the pan.  Add a small amount of the hot milk to the bowl of beaten egg yolk and whisk them together.  Add small amounts of the hot milk a couple more times to temper the egg yolks, or get them warm so they won't curdle or scramble when you pour them into the milk mixture.

Stir the custard until it begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon

Grate a little more nutmeg on top and give it a swirl.




Spread the leeks and shrimp on top of the cheese.

Gently pour the egg/milk mixture into the pie plate.  Top with the extra cheese.  Place in the middle of a preheated oven.

After baking in a 375° oven for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden, remove the quiche from the oven.

The advantage of making your quiche with the custard method (in lieu of pouring your cold egg/milk mixture over your fillings and popping it into the oven) is that you don't really have to let the quiche rest after it comes out of the oven.  It's ready to eat right then, hot and creamy.

Slice her up and enjoy!  I would suggest with a nice green tossed salad.

Quiche with Shrimp and Leeks

Adapted from a basic recipe for quiche in Bouquet de France - An Epicurean Tour of the French Provinces edited by Gourmet 1966.

Serves 8

Note that the ingredients below are for a deep dish pie.  If you wish to make this quiche in a regular 9" pie plate it is easily halved.

 Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie crust of your choice

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large leek

1 pound shrimp

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, divided

6 whole eggs

3 cups milk, preferably whole

Mise en Place:

• pre-heat oven to 375°
• roll out dough and place in pie plate.  Set prepared pie plate in refrigerator until needed
• grate cheese and divide leaving a little cheese to top the quiche with
• clean and chop the leek (while and pale green only)
• shell, de-vein, and slice shrimp into bite sized pieces
• crack eggs into bowl; measure salt and grate nutmeg
• measure milk into heavy sauce pan

Method:

In medium sauté pan, heat oil and saute leeks until just turning soft.  Add the shrimp and constantly stir quickly for 1 minute only.  Remove from heat.

Pull the pie crust out of the refrigerator and spread the majority of the cheese in the bottom of the shell; saving some for the top.

Arrange the leeks and shrimp pieces on top of the cheese.

Crack the eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk until combined and light yellow.  Set aside.

In a 2 quart saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until almost boiling.  You'll see bubbles all around the sides of the pan.

With a 1/4 cup measuring cup slowly begin to add the hot milk mixture, in a stream, to the egg mixture, whisking as you go.  Do this about two more times.  What you are wanting to accomplish here is warming the egg yolks enough to be able to add them back to the milk mixture without the eggs scrambling.  Once the eggs are tempered slowly add them to the milk mixture whisking constantly until the milk/egg mixture comes to a boil.

Continue to beat the custard mixture until it starts to become thick.  When the mixture coats the back of a spoon it is ready.

Slowly pour the custard into the pie shell.  Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake in the 375° oven for about 30 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is golden.

Serve hot, directly from the pan.