There are few differences between sweet and savory pie. When I make a sweet pie, I tend to want a slightly sweet crust, so I add up to a quarter cup of sugar to the flour before introducing it to butter. But don't stop there. Add spices to your pie dough that will compliment the flavors of its filling--something like nutmeg or cinnamon or even cardamom.
Usually when I make a savory pie, I only use salt and cayenne, but I've gone with nutmeg there, too, on occasion. Every day is a different day, and we learn by experimenting. Follow your heart and, above all, your taste buds.
Other than sweetness and spice, the pie dough is the same--sweet or savory. I keep mine really basic--I've provided that recipe before which contains only butter, flour, and water (and the salt and spice). However, I have made empanadas wherein I will add egg and vinegar. In theory, the vinegar makes a more flaky crust, but my basic pie dough crust is so flaky, I'm inclined to hang with the French on this and keep it simple. It's gorgeous. Your mouth and your guests will love you.
So to remind you, once you've made your pie dough, let it rest in the fridge, so the butter stays firm, which will assure flakiness. When you're ready, roll out your crust, fold it over and lay it into a pie pan. That crust should feel cold on your hand, or you've goofed. Crimp the edges, and then put that sucker back into the fridge to keep it cold while you do other chores--like make the filling.
If you want a meat filling, cook the meat first. I prefer to use a roasted or braised meat, but if you are pressed for time, you can broil or pan fry something. I will give instructions on meat-filled pies and quiches later.
Today, it's a veggie quiche. Now certainly you could fire roast veggies such as eggplant or red bell pepper or poblano or even onion (yummy). Coat them with a touch of olive oil and put them on a wire rack right over your gas flame or on the grill and let them char and/or blister. If you wish to peel your peppers you may, but the flavor's in the char, darlin'. Cut the veggies to edible size--but don't make it too small--it won't look or taste as good. Season them (means add salt).
If you just want to saute the veggies, do it. Use olive oil (or butter if you just gotta). Cut your veggies before you cook them, in this instance, and season them in the pan. If you saute your veggies, you can add herbs or spices at this point. If you've never made a savory pie, start out with simple flavors. I love the ubiquitous thyme. All by itself, it's great. Start simple, and once you know the taste, you can expand on your repertoire through experimentation. Let the veggies cool somewhat before you introduce them to the egg mixture.
Quiche is eggs and cream, basically. Ratios may vary, as what you have on hand may vary. Sometimes you have six eggs, sometimes you have more. Use what you have. But the more egg you put in, the more the quiche sets up. But you will need a lot of cream--or half and half, if you prefer, which will work. It usually takes at least a quart of cream to make a big ol' quiche, and that requires several eggs to bind it. I've used as many as seven eggs to make a quiche. In fact, that's how many I used to make the one pictured. If I am going with European flavors (like thyme) I ALWAYS use nutmeg. Use a fresh, whole nutmeg and grate it with a microplane for the best flavor. I love the taste, so I make sure to get it in there. Don't be afraid to pop a finger into your mixture to evaluate seasoning and spices. It's the only way to really be sure how it will taste. And don't add too much salt, as your veggies will also be seasoned. Seasoning occurs in layers. Wisk together your eggs, cream, and flavors. Taste.
Now grate some cheese. With the vegetables I chose today--mushrooms, onions, peppers--I decided on Jarlsberg--a nice, nutty-tasting swiss.
Now bring out that crust, baby. I put cheese on the bottom, but it's okay to put it into egg mix, too. Same with the veggies, either way works. But I like to put the cheese down, the veggies down and pour the egg mix atop. Then I put more cheese on top, and sometimes even decorate the top with veggies or sliced almonds, etc., if I have the time.
Into a preheated oven, 400 degrees. It can take some time to cook, but WATCH it. You want it to look puffed up like my picture, and nicely browned, but it should jiggle like a belly dancer if you shake the pan a little. Then it's done. Let her cool. It can stay out of the fridge for several hours, but put it to fridge if you have left overs or don't plan to serve it that day.
To reheat, microwave for about 50 seconds and throw it into a 300 degree oven for two or three minutes to bring it back to temp.
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