Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche

We always keep a few packages of smoked salmon, lox or smoked trout in the freezer. They’re good to have on hand for an elegant breakfast or for making some quick appetizers not to mention a great source for omega-3 fatty acids. I’ve even tossed them into stir fried rice.

Smoked salmon (also known as “nova” salmon from Nova Scotia) is a filet that has been cured in a brine and then hot- or cold-smoked. Cold-smoking doesn’t cook the fish which results in a very silky texture whereas hot-smoking cooks the salmon making it firmer and bit less delicate tasting. Often confused with lox, they are totally different products. Lox is salmon that has been brined but not smoked.

I have to admit I’m a bit lazy when it comes to using smoked salmon – I generally take an easy approach simply serving it on bagels smeared with cream cheese or alongside some sliced red onions, capers and minced hard boiled egg.

I had package of smoked salmon to make a nice Sunday lunch but wanted something a bit more substantial so I decided to chop it up and add it to a quiche. To balance out the saltiness of the salmon, I also added some sautéed spinach and a mild shredded Italian cheese blend. Since I love the tang of capers alongside smoked salmon, I minced up a tablespoon and added them to the batter.

I was pleasantly surprised how deliciously balanced the quiche tasted. The recipe is very adaptable for you can use whatever smoked fish you have on hand: salmon, trout, whitefish, etc. and you can substitute your favorite spicy greens for the spinach. Early spring’s baby arugula or kale would taste good as would some spicy mustard greens.

SMOKED SALMON & SPINACH QUICHE
Pillsbury Pie Crust (you will use ½ of the package)
Extra virgin olive oil
½ large sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon brined capers, rinsed and minced
1 tablespoon flour
½ small package (about 3 ounces) smoked salmon cut into bite-size pieces
3 eggs plus 1 yolk
1½ cups heavy cream (or ¾ cup milk, ¾ cup heavy cream)
3 ounces Italian blend shredded cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 inch pie pan with nonstick spray and place one pie crust into the pan. You might want to fold over the edge of the crust but don’t tuck it down too much because the crust will shrink while you are baking it and you don’t want the level of the crust lower than the filling. Be careful to patch any cracks in the dough. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork then freeze it for 30 minutes.

Now you will “blind bake” the crust alone without any filling. Line the frozen crust with a sheet of parchment paper. Fill the parchment paper with something to hold it down and prevent the crust from puffing up, dry (uncooked) beans or pie weights. Make sure the weights are nestled against the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the parchment paper and weights. If necessary, cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent burning. Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. The crust should be a light golden brown. When done, set aside so that the crust can cool down a bit before filling. Keep your oven set at 350 degrees.

While the crust is blind baking, put about 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and heat until shimmering. Sauté the sliced onion until translucent but not browned.

Add the chopped spinach to the pan and carefully pour in a splash (about ¼ cup) of water. Cover and let the spinach steam for about 2 minutes until it is slightly wilted. Remove the cover and let the spinach sauté with the onion, adding more olive oil if necessary.

Stir in the capers and flour. The flour will help to thicken the quiche as it bakes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to briefly cool then stir in the smoked salmon.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and yolk then add the cream. Sprinkle a little of the shredded cheese onto the bottom of your baked crust, top with onion-spinach-salmon mixture then slowly pour in the egg batter. Top with the remaining cheese. If you hadn’t covered the edges of the dough with foil earlier, it’s a good idea to cover it now. The chances of burning the edges are higher with the longer baking time.

To bake, first place the pie pan onto a baking sheet just in case it sloshes a little on its way to the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.