This “impostor quiche” has become one of my staples. And it has the funniest story.
When we first moved to Belgium, about 8 years ago, I bragged to my man that I would bake a quiche lorraine for dinner. All good, until I realized I had almost none of the ingredients I needed to make the much-anticipated quiche…so I just invented a new recipe and whipped something up. Luckily, my man had no idea what a quiche lorraine was! We kept calling this cheese tart “quiche” until I came clean and confessed. Like most fabulous inventions of our time, this fake quiche was born out of necessity, a bit of laziness and a fundamental lack of known & tested ingredients. I’m super happy to share the recipe with you: it is so delicious that I replicated it sooo many times!
What do you need
For the crust
180g flour
125g sour cream
140g butter (salted or unsalted)
For the filling
1 red pepper
CHEESE: 1 or 2 brie triangles + whatever else is on the verge of going bad in the fridge (I add pretty much anything, but the brie is always the base)
How to make “The Impostor”
This dough is very easy to make: mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a hand mixer. The consistence needs to be souple and stretchy, but I always find I need to add more flour to keep it together: use your better judgement on this one. Roll the dough into a ball and dump it in the fridge for at least one hour.
In the meantime, chop the red pepper and char it in a non-stick pan; start heating the oven. Grate the cheese: I stick the brie in the freezer for about 15 minutes before grating, it’s much easier like this.
Take out the dough, scatter some flour on a flat surface and start kneading & rolling it. I put plastic filter on the table and use a wine bottle instead of a rolling pin, because I don’t have one. Layer baking paper in a tray and CAREFULLY lay in the dough. Blind bake for 10 minutes: it will start swallowing in the oven, just puncture it with a toothpick a couple of times. Add the charred pepper & the grated cheese and distribute well. I think I had a mix of brie, emmental, tome de savoie and blue cheese…but honestly, it doesn’t really matter. Leave in the oven until the cheese starts melting, for another 15 minutes or so. The most difficult part? Let it chill before you cut it. Enjoy with a sour salad next to it and a large glass of red wine (or two, or three…)!
the pickled spruit. 