Quiche with hazelnut and Parmesan crust

Why does the addition of a crust make a quiche so much more superior than a frittata? Oh, that's right, it's the carbohydrates. As Neil and I were waking past a bakery on Sunday, he nudged me and, regarding the mouth-watering aroma coming from the shop, said "You know what that nice smell is? that's carbohydrates". Thanks Neil. The slight trace of smugness in his voice made me want to scream. So, after buying a new cookbook and looking at umpteen images of gorgeous looking vegetable quiches, I had to have one. The quest for a low carb quiche crust began.

I found many solutions online and settled on one I thought sounded interesting. Half a cup of soy flour mixed with half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese was recommended. After checking and discovering I had no soy flour, a forgotten bag of ground hazelnuts presented themselves coyly. Half hazelnut meal and half Parmesan seemed like a tasty and practical solution.

The Parmesan and hazelnut flour were mixed and butter added, in small pieces, to be 'bread crumbed'. Then, 1.5 tbsp sour cream along with 1 tbsp water were mixed in and a very wet, spreadable 'dough' was created. I wasn't sure about it, but persevered, pressing the mixture into the tin as suggested. My first mistake was using a tin that had a removable bottom. Why? The substantial oil content in the Parmesan, butter and cream seeped through the tin onto the oven bottom and shelf, causing a blanket of smoke to engulf the kitchen as soon as I opened the door even just a fraction to peep. After 5 minutes of cooking, the mixture was still wet and not at all crust like, but, after a further 10 minutes.......

........it looked more like I imagined it should and that particular smell of baked cheese was appetizing enough to give me renewed faith.

The filling was a bacon, pepper and onion affair, the onions having caramelized for a good half hour before hand.

3 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream and salt and pepper were mixed and added....

..and a large handful of extra Parmesan along with some creamy Mirabel with walnuts was sprinkled over as a finishing touch.

Despite all my best efforts, I could not prise the crust away from the baking tin's bottom. I had forgotten to use some greaseproof paper, only buttering the tin which became mistake no.2. I had to flop the quiche onto a plate and scrape away the crust to throw on top. Not the prettiest of quiches and the reason why there are no pretty pictures of the finished dish, but, the crispy, browned bits that had stuck to the sides were deliciously nutty, highlighted by the nuttiness of the Parmesan and intense in flavour, it's just a shame they weren't still attached to the sides of the quiche. 

Next time I will use a little more of the hazelnut meal to create a denser 'dough' and use a baking dish without any gaps at the bottom to ensure there is no seepage of oil, oh, and I will greaseproof the tin as well. As these changes will be reflected in the recipe: 

Recipe : Quiche with Hazelnut and Parmesan crust

For crust

3/4 cup hazelnut meal (or any other nut meal you like, such as almond, walnut etc.)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch of salt

1/2 stick butter

1.5 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp water

Filling

1 tsp oil and 1 tsp butter

4 slices back or streaky bacon, cut into cubes or diced

1 onion, sliced finely

1 bell pepper, sliced finely

1 clove garlic, sliced finely

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup sour cream

3 eggs

salt and pepper

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp other soft cheese such as brie or ricotta.

Preheat the oven to 375oF.

Butter a solid baking dish, line with greaseproof paper and then butter again.

Mix the Parmesan and nut meal together well, add the pinch of salt and mix.

Cut the butter into chunks and add a little at a time, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to create 'breadcrumbs'.

After all the butter has been added and the mixture is sufficiently mixed, add the sour cream and water and mix together with a spoon. Press the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 15 minutes.

To make the filling:

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is crisp, remove from the pan. Add a little more oil if necessary and add the onions and garlic, stir well, cover, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for about 45 minutes, checking and stirring frequently until the onions are very soft and golden. 

Add the pepper and continue to cook for a little while longer to soften and sweeten it.

Spread the onion mixture into the partially baked crust and sprinkle the crispy bacon on top. 

Mix the eggs, sour cream and oil together, season with salt and pepper and pour over the onions and bacon.

Finally, dot the soft cheese over the quiche and sprinkle with the extra Parmesan.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.