Lobster and Crab Quiche to celebrate Seafair Weekend

The Blue Angels are here jetting around! Actually they are pilots flying jets. Sea fair Weekend here in Seattle means the U.S. Navy Blue Angels putting on a sky show, unlimited hydroplane racing, live concerts, and fireworks. One big party. Granted the week before, major highways are shut down over lunch time so that the Blue Angels can practice for the event and the Seattle traffic back-ups are the worst EVER! but people seem to keep their grumbling to lower decimals while applauding the jet's earth shattering volumes of noise as the pilots go screaming across the sky!

I wanted to celebrate the weekend events by making seafood dishes. I bought King Crab legs and a lobster tail. The King Crab legs were steamed over a mixture of equal amounts of water and apple cider vinegar, sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning, and steamed just until heated through. The prickly crab legs are then removed from the steamer, and using kitchen shears, I cut the shell down the center. This means easy meat removal without the pain. Also, lots of melted butter are served with. This was dinner for Saturday night. That and a nice loaf of Tuscan bread, cut into thick slices, for dipping purposes. Sunday morning breakfast is all about a lobster quiche. I have been raised on my Mom's quiches so I do not really need a recipe to go by. I also had leftover King crab meat so. . .

here is a lobster and King Crab Quiche:
(BTW, I totally bombed 2 separate pie and galette sessions where my pie crust just didn't work! I lost all confidence in my pie crust skills. This morning I woke up and decided I was going to jump right back on the crust bandwagon and defeat this newly formed fear! It is pie crust for Pete Sakes!) I remade Dorie Greenspan's Summer Fruit Galette on page 366-367 of her cookbook Baking, from my home to yours along with her pie crust on page 442.) I used the pie crust recipe that made 2 crusts so that my quiche could use one of the crusts and the Galette, the other crust.

My Galette had apricot preserves spread over the bottom and fresh nectarines, peaches, and blueberries added over the top. This time, the galette worked AND my pie crust turned out GREAT! The difference? It really does matter that you keep the pie crust chilled as much as possible before baking. My kitchen has been too hot in the past AND I have been in a hurry. Not a good combination for pie crust.)

Lobster and King Crab Quiche

(Recipe by Shandy)

1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked

1 1/2-cups lobster meat

1 c. crab meat

1/4 c. scallions, sliced

1 1/2 c. Swiss cheese, shredded

6 eggs

1 c. milk - I use whole milk but whatever percentage will not affect the flavor

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 t. salt (unless the crab already tastes a little salty)

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

dash of nutmeg

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a quiche pie pan or tart pan with pie crust. Layer half of the lobster meat, crab meat, scallions, and Swiss cheese in pie crust. Repeat process for remaining half. Beat eggs and then add the milk, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over the lobster and crab mixture. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over all.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until filling is set.

Lobster Tail:

I broil my lobster tails. This is very easy. I put foil on a baking pan for easy clean-up. I then use my kitchen shears to cut the top of the lobster shell down the center. Spread the shell apart slightly. Melt 4 T. butter. Add a little garlic and paprika to taste and pour down the cut opening of the lobster. Move your oven rack about 7 to 8 inches from the top of the oven and put the oven on broil - Hi. The length of time you use to broil depends on the weight of the lobster tail. Broil until the meat is opaque all the way through. My lobster tail was over a pound and took 15 minutes. The shell will get black where you cut with the kitchen shears. This does not affect the flavor of the meat. Take lobster tail from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Pull lobster meat out of shell and cut up for the quiche. Sneak a piece or two for yourself =D!

Believe it or not, there are leftovers. This makes a large quiche that puffs up a little like a souffle. The flavor of the seafood really stands out without the cheese masking any of the flavors. I love that!

See? Leftovers. . .Told you =)