Caramelized Garlic, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Quiche

This past weekend I scored major daughter-in-law points by winning over the hearts - and stomachs - of my in-laws. The pressure was on because 1) I had never cooked ANYTHING for my in-laws (microwaving doesn't count, right?) and 2) my mother-in-law is a master chef. I mean, she has quite a following when it comes to her cooking to the point where she even conducts cooking classes during her spare time. As a result, I decided to pull out the big guns and make the same dish that had won over my husband years ago when we were dating. Basically, this quiche validated my cooking in his eyes and has been cemented as one of his favorite brunch dishes (pats self on back). To back-track a bit, earlier in our relationship we competitively tried to see who could out cook the other. You got to love a man that can cook though! He's better at creating intricate dinner entrees, but we collectively agree that the breakfast/brunch category is all mine. The inspiration behind the dish? I wanted to recreate a quiche I had tried while traveling through London a few years back. For you foodies, it was at Nopi, one of Yotam Ottolenghi's landmark restaurants...and it was life changing. I was able to find Ottolenghi's original recipe in his cookbook, Plenty, but I modified it a bit. Here's my adapted version: 

Ingredients

I box (13 oz) Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets, defrosted
2 medium heads of garlic, separated and peeled, but do not crush
1 1/2 cup sliced portobello mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (save some sprigs for garnish)
1 tsp chopped fresh chives 
1 tsp  salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 oz soft, creamy goat cheese (chevre)
4 oz hard goat cheese (gouda)
3 large eggs
6 tbsp of creme fraiche 

Directions:

1) Roll out puff pastry/dough into a 13-inch circle. Fit puff pastry into an 11-inch round ceramic pie dish. Place a parchment paper round on top of puff pastry or crust; top with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to refrigerator; chill for 20 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and set aside. Transfer tart shell to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and paper and bake until pastry is golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside.

3) Place garlic cloves in a small saucepan filled with water. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer; simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and return cloves to saucepan. Add olive oil and place saucepan over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fried, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, and 1 cup water; bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rosemary, chopped thyme, chives, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue simmering over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and garlic is coated in a dark caramelized syrup, about 10-15 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.

4) Break the soft goat cheeses and grate the hard goat cheese into the quiche shell; spoon garlic cloves and syrup over cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, creme fraiche, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Pour egg mixture over cheese and garlic filling, making sure the cheese and garlic are still visible.

5) Transfer tart to oven and bake until tart filling is set and top is golden brown, about 45-50 minutes.

6) Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with thyme sprigs and enjoy! Side note - it can be reheated, but is best straight from the oven and served warm.

The consistency of the quiche will be creamy as seen below. 

Here's the finished product! I decided to make homemade croissants, maple chicken sausages, a colorful fruit salad with dragon-fruit, strawberries, blackberries, kiwis, pears, bananas, and blueberries, and fresh squeezed orange juice. You will never drink store-bought OJ once you juice your own...it's so much better and healthier too. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I!

Bon appetite, 

xoxo