spinach and bacon quiche

I was fortunate enough to have spent my junior year abroad in Paris. I lived in a Catholic dorm and although the cook was sweet and delightful, the food she served was much to be desired.  Once in a while I would treat myself to a café au lait and a quiche in a quaint little café, Flore en L'Ile, located on L'Ile St. Louis. Their quiche was creamy, flavorful and the most delicious quiche I had ever tasted. I have not been able to find or duplicate a quiche quite as scrumptious as theirs. Well, that is until now. The Spinach and Bacon Quiche from around my french table is as creamy and velvety as the one I had in Flore en L'Ile. So even though I may not be sitting in a Parisian café, I can still enjoy a quiche as delicious as the one I had in Flore en L'Ile. 

   

                                                spinach and bacon quiche
                                                            adapted from
                                                   around my french table
                                more than 300 recipes from my home to yours
                                                        Dorie Greenspan

                               
Ingredients
1 9" tart shell, partially baked and
   cooked
10 ounces ready to use baby spinach
4 strips bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, split, gerrm
   removed, and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the tart shell on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

To cook the spinach, fit a steamer basket into a large pot. Pour in enough water to come almost up to steamer, cover, and bring to a boil. Add the spinach, cover, and stem just until soft and thoroughly wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove the spinach and drain, and run under very cold water to cool it and set thte color.

When the spinach is cool enough not to burn your hands, squeeze between your palms to get out as much moisture as you can; do this in batches so you can squeeze harder. Put the clumps of spinach on a cutting board and coarsely chop or thinly slice the spinach.

Put the bacon in a skillet, place the skillet over medium heat, and cook turning occasionally, until the bacon is crisp on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain, and pat dry (set the pan aside). Cut the bacon crosswise into strips.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet, return the skillet to medium heat, and toss in the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft but not at all colored, about 5 minutes, remove from the heat. Add the spinach and bacon bits to the pan, toss to blend, and add a little more salt and a few generous grindings of pepper.

Turn the spinach and onion mixture into the crust, spreading it as evenly as you can. Whisk the eggs and cream together until well blended and pour into the tart shell, giving the custard a minute to seep around the spinach and settle in. Sprinkle the top of the quiche with the Parmesan.

Carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is uniformly puffed (wait for the center to puff), browned, and set. Transfer the quiche to a cooling rack, remove the sides of the pan, and allow to cool and gather itself for at least 5 minutes or so before serving.

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