Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust

By bren_2

Ingredients

• Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
• 3 1/4 cups grated, cooked potato or frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus 1 tablespoon whole butter
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 medium leeks, halved and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces smoked salmon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Yield: 2/3 cup

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate.

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and Essence, and toss to combine. Add the Parmesan and toss to combine. Press the potato mixture into the prepared pie plate, spreading to evenly cover the bottom and up the sides. Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the remaining tablespoon of butter into a small skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and using a wooden spoon, stir in the leeks and lemon juice. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until combined. Add the cream, salmon, dill, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Pour the cream cheese-salmon mixture into the cooled potato crust and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and the batter is set. Cool quiche for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled.