Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [172]
INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe Flaky Pie Pastry
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
2 eggs, large or extra-large
1 egg yolk, large or extra-large
1 cup half-and-half
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon coarse salt, preferably smoked salt
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
4 ounces Stilton cheese, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 325°F.
Pour the canola oil in a large mixing bowl, and toss the pears in the oil as soon as they are peeled and cut to keep them from browning. Add the onion and coat with oil.
Brush a grill grate and coat with oil. Put the pear wedges and onion slices directly over the heat, cover the grill, and cook until browned and tender, about 12 minutes, turning the pear wedges two times, and the onion slices once. Remove to a cutting board and cool for 10 minutes. Chop the onion finely and the pear coarsely.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board into a 12-inch circle, about ¼ inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a 10-inch heavy skillet with a metal handle. A cast-iron one works well. Make sure the pastry sinks into the corners of the pan. Trim the edges of the pastry, allowing a 1-inch overhang. Fold the edges to create a thick edge. Crimp the edges, and put in the refrigerator.
Whisk the whole eggs and yolk in a small mixing bowl. Mix in the half-and-half, pepper, salt, and garlic. Remove the pastry shell from the refrigerator. Pack the Parmesan in an even layer over the bottom of the pastry. This will help to keep it crisp as it cooks.
Mix together the Stilton and chopped pears and onions, and pat into an even layer in the pastry shell. The pastry should be almost full. Pour the custard evenly over the top.
Carefully carry the pan out to the grill and put on the grill away from the heat. Cover the grill and bake until the custard is just set in the middle, and the pastry and the top of the custard are browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
Allow the quiche to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into 8 wedges.
Flaky Pie Pastry
MAKES 1 PASTRY CRUST
INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup ice water
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor with the metal blade in place. Process until combined, scatter the butter pieces evenly over the flour, and process in pulses until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add half the water, pulse to distribute, and add the remaining water a bit at a time, until the dough begins to climb the walls of the work bowl but is still rough and unformed. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (and no more than 2 days) before using in a recipe. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
KNOW-HOW: CRIMPING PASTRY EDGES
After you have rolled under the edge of the piecrust, press your thumb and index finger together to create a small V shape at your fingertips. Put these fingers behind the edge of the pastry, and with the index finger of your other hand push the pastry into the V. Move your finger over and make another crimp right next to the first. Continue all the way around the edge of the pastry.
SURFACE-RIPENED CHEESE
Camembert Wrapped in Grape Leaves and Served with Sweet Cranberry Mustard Vinaigrette
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
Baked Brie has become a dinner party cliché. This Camembert undermines the stereotype by wrapping the cheese in fragrant grape leaves, moving it out to the grill, and later serving it with sweet-tart cranberry vinaigrette. One of the reasons that surface-ripened cheeses are frequent candidates