Smoked salmon and leek mini quiche

Smoked salmon and spring leeks are a great spring flavor combination for mini quiche. In these mini quiche, I use shredded hash brown potatoes as the base instead of the traditional pastry which also makes them gluten free.

Smoked salmon and leek mini quiche are tasty bites

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By using a standard 12 cup non-stick muffin pan these smoked salmon and leek mini quiche are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast. Make a big batch and line them up on a bed of seasoned arugula for a delicious self-serve brunch item.

Leeks are from the allium family of vegetables. They are a mild tasting vegetable similar to a scallion. Other common allium vegetables include garlic, onions and shallots. A fair amount of dirt can get trapped inside a leek. Slit the leek part-way through all the way down the length of the mid-section. Then rinse it out under running water. This helps flush out any trapped dirt. For this recipe, dice up a mix of both the white and green section of the leek.

Smoked salmon, leek and Emmenthaler cheese are a tasty flavor combo

You can use any kind of lightly flavored smoked salmon for this quiche recipe. My favorite is a hardwood smoked Nova-style lox. Most Nova lox salmon comes in 3 oz packages. I used about half the package in this recipe. You can freeze the rest or pretty up your platter with the remaining pieces of salmon lox around them. Lemon and avocado oil dressed arugula is a perfect garnish.

A delicious breakfast or brunch dish

I learned how to make the custard for this quiche recipe when I took an advanced cooking class. This traditional custard is rich and delicious. The quiche can be served hot or at room temperature. Both are acceptable and taste equally good. While we often associate eggs with breakfast, smoked salmon and leek quiche also makes a great lunch or light dinner when served with a salad. It is pictured here with a simple arugula salad seasoned with a drizzle of avocado oil and a squeeze of lemon. The peppery flavor of the arugula pairs perfectly with the quiche and smoked salmon. There are so many wonderful flavor combinations and ways to make quiche. But this is definitely one of my favorites.

Mini quiche are super convenient, but if you’d like to make this dish as one traditional large quiche you certainly can. Instead, use a large pie-plate and bake it in the oven longer. Use the same ingredients, same steps. Make sure to rest the quiche about 10 – 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven before serving it so it has time to firm up.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this recipe. Have you ever had smoked salmon in quiche before?

Happy cooking,

Michelle

If you make any of my recipes, use #northwestspoon and share your photo.

Smoked salmon and leek mini quiche

Serves 6

1. Prep time 8 mins

2. Cook time 22 mins

3. Use a 12-cup standard non-stick muffin tin and a 2-cup pourable glass measuring cup.

Ingredients

1. Baking spray, like PAM

2. 2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

3. 1 tbsp avocado oil or butter

4. 1/2 cup chopped leek, equal green and white parts.

5. 1 dash salt and freshly ground white pepper.

6. 4 large eggs

7. 1 cup whole milk

8. 1 cup heavy cream

9. 1/2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

10. 1/8 tsp freshly ground white pepper

11. 1 dash cayenne pepper

12. 1/2 3 oz package sliced Nova-style lox smoked salmon

13. 1/2 cup grated Swiss Emmenthaler or Gruyere cheese.

14. 1 tsp dill or dried thyme, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Liberally spray the muffin tin with non-stick baking spray (like PAM). Line each cup with shredded hash browns. Go up the sides somewhat of the cups. Set this aside while you cook the leeks and make the custard. This allows time for the frozen hash browns to thaw out. 

2. Heat 1 tbsp of avocado oil (or butter) in a skillet. Sauté the chopped leeks until softened (just a few minutes). Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked leeks to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess grease.

3. Use a medium-sized mixing bowl to make the custard. Use a fork to combine the eggs, milk and cream. Don’t over mix. You don’t want to add in air. Season it with salt, pepper and cayenne. Transfer the liquid to a pourable glass measuring cup. This makes it easier to pour into the muffin tin cups.

4. Break up the smoked salmon lox into small pieces. Evenly distribute the salmon in the muffin tin cups. Evenly distribute the cooked leeks in the cups. Evenly distribute the cheese in the cups. Pour the egg mixture evenly into each cup. Top each cup with a little fresh dill or dried thyme if desired.

5. Bake in the oven for 20 to 22 minutes. It will puff and set. You can test to see if it is done by inserting a sharp knife in the center. It should come out wet, but clean. Rest the quiche about 10 minutes before serving so it firms up.

Source: northwestspoon.com

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