Egg prices skyrocketed. The real culprit? Sqirl's Leek Quiche

get the recipe for hip L.A. eatery Sqirl's quiche

After livestock across the supply chain recently began contracting H5N1 (avian flu), egg laying hens were culled flock-by-flock to stymy further spread of the flu. Now, consumers are justly wondering: why does the egg shortage drag on?

As always, I am here to soothe your nerves with pseudo-scientific conspiratorial claims. And it is clear to me that this delicious leek quiche recipe from hip L.A. eatery Sqirl is the culprit. It appears that eggs are being sourced in bulk to meet customers insatiable demand for the dish, leaving everyone else high and dry. And it’s no wonder why. Every part of this quiche is finger licking good: the flaky crust, the pillowy light egg filling, and tender sweetness of the leeks.

Play around with your filling

Eggs and cream make up the base of the quiche, but everything else is substitutible. I prefer leeks in the place of spinach, but feel free to accessorize as desired. Roasted potato, cheddar, chives, or crispy bacon crumbles are all great additions as well.

Recipe difficulty rating: intermediate

Ingredients: (serving size: 8 servings, one 10-inch quiche)

for the crust:

• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

• 3/4 tsp crushed sea salt

• 11 tbsp (150 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled in fridge)

• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) ice water

for the filling:

• 1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced

• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 4 cups (80 grams) braised leeks, chopped

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream

• 4 large eggs

• 2 large egg yolks

• 3/4 tsp crushed sea salt

• fresh ground black pepper

• 3/4 cup (85 grams) crumbled feta cheese

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Cooking Appliances:

• knife

• cutting board

• pan

• oven

• 9 or 10 inch springform pan

• large bowl

• rolling pin

• parchment paper

• whisk

Instructions:

Make the crust:

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Using the tips of your fingers, quickly pinch and smash the butter into the flour mixture. Once there are no butter pieces larger than a pea, drizzle in 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the ice water. Still working quickly, toss to incorporate the water. Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of ice water, toss, and try grabbing a small handful of the mixture to see if it’ll hold together as a shaggy dough. If it doesn’t, add a tiny bit more water and try again. Once it does, shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out to an appropriately 14 inch circle that is just under 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, sprinkling the dough with additional flour as needed. Drape it inside an ungreased 10 inch springform pan, pressing to create an evenly thick crust. (Press the dough gently against the sides of the pan until it holds its shape.) Place the pan in the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the pan from the freezer, cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper, and pour in something to weigh down the paper and hold the dough in place while it bakes. Bake for about 1 hour, until the crust edges peeking out from under the parchment paper look golden brown. Remove the weights and paper and let the crust cool (but keep the oven on).

While the crust is pre-baking, make the filling:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the shallot and garlic in oil until softened, about 1 minute. Add the leeks and cook. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Once the leeks have cooled off a little, add the cream, whole eggs, egg yolks, salt, and lots of pepper. Whisk until well combined, then gently stir in the cheese and chives. Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the quiche quivers cohesively, like one piece of Jell-O, 30 to 40 minutes.

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