Asparagus paired with creamy goat cheese, chunks of black garlic, fresh thyme and caramelized onions that melt in your mouth make this quiche irresistible.
Even people who are not best friends with garlic the way I am (we go waaaay back!), will love black garlic. It’s garlic that has been heated for several weeks, leaving the cloves black and breaking down all the sharp enzymes that can be such a deterrent for many, and leaving a soft garlic taste that’s wonderfully caramel-y and full of umami.
This Black Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Crustless Quiche makes full use of that delicious taste. Yes, I realize that’s quite a mouthful of a name, but I really want you to be able to fathom the full scope of deliciousness just by looking at the name. The asparagus is lightly sautéed before heading into the quiche, so it’s still got some bite and paired with creamy goat cheese, chunks of black garlic and some fresh thyme and don’t get me started on the caramelized onions that just melt in your mouth. It’s just completely and utterly yum.
I’ve made this quiche with or without crust but feel free to use either puff pastry or make a quiche crust, we have some really good recipes here on the blog.
But don’t you worry, I haven’t gone over to the dieting side! Going on a diet in the middle of a pandemic is like trying to bail water out of a sinking boat with a teaspoon. Completely useless. So I’m making jelly donuts tomorrow! I’ll keep you posted, they are perfection.
xoxo Donata
Ingredients
2 large onions
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine
150 g trimmed green asparagus
260 g goat cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp (150 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1 tsp flaky sea salt plus 1/2 tsp
1 tsp thyme leaves
freshly ground pepper
6-7 cloves black garlic
cooking spray
Preparation
Peel and trim the onions. Slice them thinly.
Heat two teaspoons of olive in a large pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is radiating heat (hold your hand an inch over the oil, you should feel the heat coming off the oil), place the onions in the pan. Stir through them to coat them with the oil.
Spread the onions evenly in the pan. Let them cook, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down if the onions are starting to burn. If they look like they’re drying out a bit, add a tsp of water.
Keep cooking for another 30-45 minutes, stirring every five to ten minutes. Add a little splash of oil if the onions are starting to stick and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring every minute or so until the onions are a deep brown.
Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of red wine. Take off the heat and let cool.
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Cut the trimmed asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces, leaving the heads intact. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Sauté the asparagus until just softened. Set aside. Cut the black garlic into small pieces and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the heavy cream, milk, eggs, salt, thyme and a few turns of freshly ground pepper until well blended. Place the goat cheese in a small bowl and squish through with a fork to loosen it up. Add to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Then add the caramelized onions and the asparagus.
Coat a quiche form with cooking spray. Pour the egg mixture into the form. Dot the surface of the quiche with the black garlic.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until set but still has some jiggle.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
