ASPARAGUS LEMON TART

Bright flavors of spring baked into a savory, herbal & lemony quiche perfect for lunch, brunch, dinner or anytime of day. Spicy or not, as you prefer.

Course: Breakfast, brunch, dinner

Cuisine: French

Keyword: asparagus, quiche

Equipment

1 9.5" tart shell

Ingredients

1 tart shell 9.5" partially baked & cooled
6 stalks asparagus, 1" trimmed off base
1 1/2 tsp butter, unsalted
2 shallots, small - finely minced
Sel Magique Spicy Blend Classic Blend as alternate
1 lemon slice, 1/4" thick including rind, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mix of fresh chives, tarragon, parsley
2 tbs fresh grated parmesan
olive oil

Instructions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil. Drop in the asparagus and blanch for 3 minutes (thick stem); 90 seconds for pencil asparagus (the asparagus shouldn’t be completely cooked), then drain in a colander, run under cold water and pat dry.
Slice the asparagus in two ways for the quiche filling, and for the top: Cut off tips to about 3 inches long, these are for the decorative top. If your asparagus are thick, slice them lengthwise in half first. Slice the remaining stalks into 1⁄2 pieces, it looks nicer if you slice on an angle. Wipe the water out the skillet from blanching the asparagus.
Put the skillet over medium heat and add butter. When it’s melted, toss in the shallots and cook, stirring, just until softened, about 3 minutes. Season with a dash of Magique and scrape into the crust, arranging evenly. Scatter over the lemon (yes, you want the rind - it will soften!) and sliced asparagus stalks.
Whisk the eggs, cream, sour cream and herbs together in a bowl just until blended. Season with Magique (about 1⁄4 teaspoon - not too much) and pepper, then pour the mixture into the crust. Arrange the asparagus tips (cut side down if you’ve halved them) in any way you’d like on top of the filling.
Bake the quiche for 25 to 30 minutes, sprinkling on the Parmesan after it has been in the oven for 20 minutes. The quiche is done when the custard is set—a tester will come out clean—and puffed. Transfer to a rack and, if you like, brush some olive oil over the top, using only enough to give it a gloss.
Serve either warm or room temp, and enjoy!