I recently received one of the great honors of my career with the unveiling of my very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The best part of that day was that it took place in the presence of the people who make everything I do possible: the many chefs and other team members who work in my restaurants and catering company; and, most important, my family, especially my wife, Gelila, and my sons, Cameron, Byron, Oliver and Alexander.
The occasion made me reflect on how much has changed since I arrived in Los Angeles in 1975. Back then, not many people considered the city’s restaurant scene worthy of praise. I’m happy to say I played some part in changing people’s attitudes, and of course, today LA is considered an exciting place to dine, with so many brilliant chefs and an incredible melting pot of culinary influences from Latin America, Asia and other parts of the globe.
I found a good example of how much everyone’s attitudes toward dining and cooking have changed while looking over my first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, published in 1981. Right there on Page 40 is a recipe for quiche, which at the time was a staple on restaurant lunch menus everywhere.
Today, that savory tart of egg, bacon or ham, and cheese in a puff-pastry crust seems almost quaint; a retro dish sophisticated foodies might be tempted to joke about. Back then, however, food lovers were only recently discovering how good that specialty of northeastern France’s Lorraine region could be. It certainly made sense to include quiche in my book.
Since that time, quiche has never really gone away. You’ll find it in some casual cafes, often with imaginative
variations, including vegetarian versions that might offer a wide variety of different vegetables in place of the traditional cured pork.
I believe quiche still deserves a place on the tables of sophisticated cooks. So with that in mind, I’d like to share a fresh-tasting take on the classic: my recipe for smoked salmon quiche.
In place of the bacon or ham, I’ve substituted smoked salmon, which you’ll find in good supermarkets everywhere. To make the relatively simple recipe even easier,
I suggest you base your quiche’s crust on good-quality puff pastry, widely available in supermarket freezer cases, following the recipe’s instructions for partially baking the shell before filling it.
Serve the quiche for lunch, brunch or even a light springtime or summer supper. One taste, and I believe you’ll understand why quiche still deserves to be considered a classic rather than a passing trend; it’s a star of the kitchen in its own right.
SMOKED SALMON QUICHE
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 pound store-bought frozen puff pastry, thawed following manufacturer’s instructions
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon melted, remainder at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten, for egg wash
1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 pound good-quality thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips about 1/4 by 1 inch
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, coarsely shredded
7 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
With the 1 tablespoon melted butter, grease the inside of a 10- or 11-inch quiche pan. Line the pan with the puff pastry, but do not trim the edges. Line the pastry with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with ceramic or aluminum baking beans, or dried beans; bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and lift out the foil or paper and the beans. Brush the bottom of the crust with the egg wash, and return the pan to the oven for 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent but not yet browning, 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove the baked quiche shell from the oven. Evenly sprinkle the sauteed onion inside the shell, along with the smoked salmon, chives, dill and cheese.
In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat together the eggs, cream, milk, pepper and nutmeg until well blended. Pour the mixture into the shell. With a small sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim the edges of the quiche shell.
Carefully return the filled quiche shell to the 350-degree oven. Bake until the quiche filling has puffed up and turned golden brown, about 50 minutes.
To serve, use a sharp, serrated knife to cut the warm quiche into wedges. With a pie server, transfer the slices to individual heated serving plates.