On Saturday, I arrived at the Coral Gables Farmers’ Market in time to snag a fat bag of French sorrel, the lemony, herbal green common in Europe and to a lesser extent the Northeast in spring. Although I had never cooked the green, online searches made it clear that its classic partners are egg and cream. I combined the greens with its tried-and-true comrades to make an airy quiche. The sorrel, which takes on a silky (if not slimy) texture when cooked, soft fresh goat cheese and whipped eggs, baked into pillow-like layers. The quiche’s filling had a mouthfeel more like souffle than quiche, all nestled atop a crisp, all-butter crust (which clearly lacks precision in presentation … oh well).
My final product was a victory, but when I first opened my pot of steamed sorrel, its transformation took me by surprise. The bright greens had turned into a viscous, murky brown-green mess. The leaves more closely resembled pond scum than greens, but their bright lemony flavor remained—reminiscent of a red-topped weed that I chewed as a child. This ill-looking cooking reaction is the norm. If you’re new to sorrel, don’t look for your sorrel-based dinner to win any beauty contests.
Stil I’m eager to get back to the market early next week and pick up a new bag of sorrel for experimenting—maybe a cream sauce or pesto or soup or salad. I’d also like to report on the friendly farmer who sells the greens. I’ll get back to you.
Sorrel and Goat Cheese Quiche
1 recipe pastry dough
1 pound sorrel, stems removed
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk (or 1 cup milk with 1/2 cup cream)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 ounces soft goat cheese
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out pastry dough, and place over a deep pie dish, crimping edges. Line the pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust turns light golden, 10 to 12 minutes. (I’m lazy, so I poke my pie crust all over with the tines of a fork, leave out the foil and weights and hope for the best.)
Meanwhile, steam sorrel in 2 to 3 batches for 3 to 4 minutes each batch. Drain thoroughly in a fine mesh sieve.
Beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
Once the crust is out of the oven, cover the bottom with hunks of goat cheese. Next add the scallions and sorrel. Pour the egg mixture into the pie dish. Sprinkle Parmesan on top, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 375°, until quiche is set and golden on top.
Let quiche rest 5 to 10 minutes, cut, and serve.
Serves 4
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Lovely, I’m making a spinach quiche tonight! My Polish aunt was a lover of sorrel, why is it not very common here in the States anymore?