King Crab Quiche

Here is a quiche recipe that is grand enough to do the mighty King crab justice! Full of fresh vegetables, succulent King crab, and encased in the flakiest crust you'll ever make, this will become one of your favorite, easy meals.

We've included a time-saving crust alternative, but can't encourage enough going the extra distance and making your own. Also, we recommend trying it with an equal portion of lobster meat for it is just as delicious.

Serves 8

Pastry Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 tbsps) cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsps cold vegetable shortening
1/4 tspn salt
3 to 4 tbsps ice water
(Can substitute with premade, store-bought and frozen deep-dish pastry crust)

Filling Ingredients:

1 lb of King crab legs, thawed if frozen
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (can substitute with half and half)
2 tbsps olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
2 tbsps fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tspn seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn black pepper
1/8 tspn freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup coarsely grated Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

Pastry:

Blend together flour, butter, shortening and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out mixture onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 4-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough into a 12 inch round on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin and fit into 9 inch glass or ceramic deep-dish pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under pastry and press against rim of pie plate to reinforce edge. Decoratively crimp edge and lightly prick bottom and side of shell with a fork. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights (or raw rice). Bake until pastry is pale golden along rim and set underneath foil, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are pale golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pie plate on a rack, about 20 minutes.

Filling:

Hack through the crab leg shells with a large heavy knife and cut meat into ½ inch pieces. Discard shells.

Heat olive oil in small heavy bottom skillet and sauté onion and garlic till translucent, adding in red pepper and spinach for the last minute or two, stirring regularly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, herbs, seafood seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

First place the crab meat on the bottom of the crust, and then over that evenly distribute the onion and vegetable mixture. The final step is mix together the egg and herb mixture with the cheeses, the pour into the crust over the crab.

Bake until filling puffs and is no longer wobbly in center when quiche is gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pie plate on rack 15 minutes.

If freezing, simply reheat at 350°F for up to 25 minutes.

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