Callaloo and Cheddar Quiches

Name: Callaloo and Cheddar Quiches
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. kosher salt; 1 tbsp. heavy cream; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 2 tbsp. unsalted butter; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 large yellow onion, minced 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 1 ⁄ 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated; 4 oz. cooked or canned callaloo or spinach, squeezed dry and finely chopped; 1 ⁄ 2 cup milk; 6 eggs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Serves
serves 8

LANDON NORDEMAN

Jacqui Sinclair, food columnist for the Jamaica Observer, gave us the recipe for these mini brunch quiches made with callaloo, a spinach-like Jamaican green. It first appeared in our November 2011 issue along with Betsy Andrews’s story Good Morning, Jamaica.

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 cups flour
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¹⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Filling

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, minced 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
¹⁄₂ Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz. cooked or canned callaloo or spinach, squeezed dry and finely chopped
¹⁄₂ cup milk
6 eggs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the crust: Combine flour, butter, and salt in a food processor, and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Add cream and egg, and pulse until dough forms. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour.

Step 2

Unwrap dough, and, using a rolling pin, roll dough until 1⁄4″ thick; using a 4″ round cutter, cut out 8 circles and transfer each circle to a muffin tin cup, forming pleats on the sides so it fits in the cup. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 3

Make the filling: Heat oven to 425°. Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic, onion, pepper, and chile, and cook, stirring until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in 6 oz. cheddar, callaloo, milk, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly among muffin cups, and sprinkle tops with remaining cheddar. Bake until golden brown and set, about 30 minutes.

Make the crust: Combine flour, butter, and salt in a food processor, and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Add cream and egg, and pulse until dough forms. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour.
Unwrap dough, and, using a rolling pin, roll dough until 1⁄4″ thick; using a 4″ round cutter, cut out 8 circles and transfer each circle to a muffin tin cup, forming pleats on the sides so it fits in the cup. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the filling: Heat oven to 425°. Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic, onion, pepper, and chile, and cook, stirring until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in 6 oz. cheddar, callaloo, milk, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly among muffin cups, and sprinkle tops with remaining cheddar. Bake until golden brown and set, about 30 minutes.