We are delighted to welcome Linda Reilly to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen today. I'm hearing great things about her new Deep Fried Mystery series. It just debuted on Tuesday with FILLET OF MURDER!
I'm also particularly partial to her "impossible pie recipe." You know how I love recipes that seem like they wouldn't work but do. A pie that makes its own crust? Count me in!
Linda is very generously giving away a copy of FILLET OF MURDER today. Leave a comment with your contact information to enter. Good luck!
And heeeere's Linda ~
Thank you, Krista Davis, for inviting
me to post on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen today! I have to confess that I agonized
over choosing a recipe. My upcoming Deep Fried series is, of course, about an
eatery that serves deep fried foods. But for some reason, Mother’s Day always
puts me in mind of brunch food, and that puts me in mind of one of my all-time brunch
favorites – Quiche Lorraine.
I first tried this delectably cheesy
dish during the 1970s, when I was visiting England. I’d honestly never heard of
it before that, but once I sampled it I was hooked. But as much as I love
eating it and preparing it, I always struggle when it comes to making the
crust. My pie crusts just do not have that flaky, buttery tenderness that my
mother’s crusts seem to have. Then a few months ago, I landed on a Cook’s
Country program on television, and they were preparing an “impossible ham and
cheese pie.” It was much like a quiche, but the crust made itself. I decided to
try it. And since I always prefer bacon over ham in my quiche, I made the substitution.
I also plunked in some minced shallot instead of scallions, and omitted the
overly strong (for me) Dijon mustard. Here is my version of this crustless
delight:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, plus 2
tablespoons melted unsalted butter
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (I
think you could substitute Swiss)
10 (more or less) slices of well-cooked
bacon, broken into pieces
1 large shallot, minced
½ cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease a
pie-plate with one tablespoon of butter, then sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over
the entire plate. This will help form the “crust.”
Combine the Gruyere, bacon, and
shallots in a bowl. Spread that mixture evenly over the prepared pie plate.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in the now-empty bowl. Whisk
into that the half-and-half, the eggs, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, the dry
mustard, and the nutmeg. Pour this batter slowly and evenly over the
cheese/bacon mixture in the pie dish.
Bake at 350° until golden brown,
between 30 and 40 minutes. I do the “knife inserted in center” test by slipping
a butter knife into the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. Let it
cool slightly. Slice into wedges and serve warm.
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| Ingredients |
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| Line pie plate with butter and sprinkle parmesan. |
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| Blend Gruyere, bacon, and shallots. |
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| Add cheese mixture to pie plate. |
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| Blend flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in now-empty bowl. |
And since today is Mother’s Day, I would
like to pay a tribute to my own fabulous mom. Gorgeous, funny, talented, and
one of the best cooks on the planet. Mom, your unwavering love made me the
person I am today. I owe you the world and more. And don’t kill me for posting
this pic of you in 1945 at eighteen years old.
 |
| Linda's Mom at 18 - 1945 |
~
Linda Reilly is the author of Fillet of Murder, the first book in the
Deep Fried mystery series (Berkley Prime Crime, May 2015). To learn more about
Linda, please visit her web site at www.lindasreilly.com.
You can also follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lindasreillyauthor.
Linda is giving away one signed copy of Fillet of Murder. Be sure to leave your
contact info when posting so that she can contact you if you’re the winner!
