Tartine’s Quiche, Potato Crusted
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A few weeks ago, while in Oakland for the Bread Toast Crumbs photoshoot (more on this soon!), my mom and I stumbled upon Farley’s, a cafe located a few blocks from the studio.
During our first few visits, we sampled the coffee, scones, and kouign amann, but one morning we arrived just as a frittata was making its way from the kitchen to the counter. Shingled with crispy-edged potatoes, like chips begging to be plucked (see photo below), it was impossible to pass up, and it soon became a morning ritual.
As soon as I returned from CA, I began experimenting. First I made one similar to Farley’s, which was loaded with vegetables, but I’ve since been keeping it simpler. Instead of partially cooking the eggs stovetop as you do for a frittata, I’ve been filling the potato shell with the Tartine quiche custard, a long-time favorite, and using herbs, a mix of chives, thyme, and tarragon, in favor of vegetables and cheese.
Tartine’s Quiche
The Tartine quiche method, which Liz Prueitt and Chad Robertson learned while apprenticing at a bakery in France, is bizarre: whisk 1 egg with 3 tablespoons of flour, then whisk in the remaining 4 eggs, then strain the eggs into a crème fraîche-milk mixture. It’s the silkiest, most beautiful, tastiest custard imaginable, which is why herbs alone as add-ins work.
In any incarnation — made in its entirety with a flaky, buttery pastry shell or without a crust altogether and loaded with kale — the Tartine quiche is a treat. But this latest variation, which is just slightly more work than its crustless predecessor, may be my favorite yet. The potato crust is so tasty, so pretty, and, if you own a mandoline, easy to assemble, too.
One note: Plan ahead. There is nothing tricky about making this quiche, but the timing is as follows: potato crust bakes for 20 minutes alone, custard then bakes in the potato crust for 40 minutes, and then the whole thing rests for 20 minutes before cutting. It also tastes great at room temperature, so if you are able to make it ahead, go for it.
PS: Crustless Quiche, Loaded with Kale
PPS: Tartine’s Ultimate Quiche
Here’s an outline of the process: line a pie plate or skillet with thinly sliced, oiled potatoes, then bake for 20 minutes:
Meanwhile, whisk 1 egg with 3 tablespoons of flour:
Then whisk in the remaining 4 eggs:
Then strain the eggs into a mixture of 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup crème fraîche:
Add herbs, salt and pepper to the custard, then pour into the par-cooked potato crust:
Bake for 40 minutes:
Let cool 20 minutes before cutting:
Serve with a simple salad for a nice spring dinner:
The frittata at Farley’s.
Tartine’s Quiche, Potato Crusted
- Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8
Description
This quiche is inspired by a frittata served at Farley’s 65th in Oakland, CA.
The custard recipe comes from Tartine and as noted above is the most delicious quiche custard you will ever make.
Other variations: With a pastry shell and raw chard or crustless and loaded with kale. A mandoline is helpful here.
Ingredients
- about a pound of red-skinned (or other) potatoes
- extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Mix of finely chopped herbs, such as: 1/2 cup chives, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, 1/4 cup fresh tarragon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandoline or sharp knife—they should be 1/8-inch thick or thinner. Place them in a large bowl and toss them with olive oil (at least a couple of tablespoons) and with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Line the quiche pan (pie plate, cast iron skillet, etc.) with the potatoes, overlapping them as you arrange them—see the photos above for a reference. Be sure the layer of potatoes closest to the edge extends above the rim—again, see photo. Place the pan on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place 1 egg and the flour in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 4 eggs until blended.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the crème fraîche until smooth. Whisk in the milk. Pour the egg mixture through a fine mesh sieve held over the milk mixture. Whisk in the salt, pepper and herbs.
- Pour the egg mixture into the par-cooked potato crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF and bake until the filling is just set, about 40 minutes. The center of the quiche should still feel slightly firm, rather than liquidy, when touched. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes to allow the custard to set up, so that it will slice neatly. It can be served warm or at room temperature. To serve a fully cooled quiche warm, cover it with aluminum foil and reheat it in a 325ºF for about 15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, French
Keywords: quiche, potato, spring, herbs, Tartine
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
43 Comments on “Tartine’s Quiche, Potato Crusted”
Boy, does this look amazing! So, doing any gardening this year for herbs or tomatoes? XO!
Absolutely! We are going to keep it simple as we did last year: 1 raised bed with 6 tomato plants, 3 big pots with herbs. It’s about all we can manage, and it’s soooo nice to have fresh herbs on hand and, come August, a bounty of tomatoes!! Are you already at it, Laurie?! xo
I’ve got tomatoes and herbs in and growing….I’m praying right now that we don’t get tornadoes and hail as predicted tonite! ouch….I’ve got a ton of roses ready to bloom so fingers crossed! On a cool note, I was asked to write a article about no till gardening for a small online mag…no payment, but they will include photos I send them and a bio…woo hoo….it’s just a fun thing to do! Hope you guys are all well! Someday I’ll be retired and just cook your recipes from my garden all dang day long! X)O!
Ali that Farley’s is literally in the same building as my sister Lauren’s office/apartment for her company Geremia Design!!!
oh my gosh, no way!! That is so awesome. I can’t believe we were so close to her every single morning. Chris, I feel so bad, but we never made it to Camino 🙁 It just got too crazy at the end when the kids arrived. Next time, and there will be a next time, I will get there. I love love love Oakland.
Can this post be pinned? I couldn’t figure it out. ? I checked your Pinterest boards but didn’t see it, could have just missed it. Thanks.
Hi! If you hover your mouse over an image, does a “pinit” button appear? I will definitely be pinning these later today, but try that first 🙂
I’m reading it on my tablet and neither hovering nor touching worked. I will definitely check your Pinterest account. Do you know which board you would be using? Thanks for the response.
Ok, cool, sorry about that! I’ll look into pinning functionality for the mobile arena. I just pinned the recipe to a few places: Breakfast, What’s for Dinner, and Meatless Mondays.
Got it. Thanks!
Lovely is the word.
Thank you, Missy 🙂 🙂 🙂
This is lovely, photographs and all. Thanks for reminding me how wonderful a custard works in a quiche!
Thank you, Liz!!
Ooooooh Ali! This looks so freaking good I’m drooling at my computer. I will definitely be trying this recipe. The quiche looks divine!!!!!
Dana, it’s one of my most favorite recipes. There is something about the flour, the straining, and the creme fraiche. Wish I were more scientific and could understand why it all works so well together. Hope you are well!! xo
This looks so good! I know what I will be making my mom for Mother’s Day!
Oh Trish, yes! Such a great spring meal and perfect for mother’s day. Hope you are well!
That custard looks sublime! Love quiches and make them all the time but I’m going to have to use this recipe next time!
I also love this ingenious potato crust…nothing better than potatoes and eggs!
Nazneen
So true! And yes, you must try this custard — I’ve never tasted anything like it.
Oh my goodness, this sounds divine and the photos are gorgeous!! I am definitely cooking this tomorrow, I’ve already bought the potatoes and crème fraiche. Do you have any suggestions on a flour substitution to keep this gluten free? Many thanks!
update – it was fantastic, the custard really is an amazing texture and taste. I did loose some of as it tricked out between the potato slices when it baked, but next time will use bigger potatoes and maybe more of them! Thanks again 🙂
This looks wonderful….everything you make always does! Do you think you could prepare and par bake the potato crust the day before? And do you have a favorite mandoline? Thanks and have a great day!
Whoops! I just noticed your links to your favorite mandoline. Thanks!
I just made this! It is cooling now, cannot wait to taste! I didn’t have any fresh herbs but used a fines herbes blend from a local source. I did add some torn fresh spinach and a bit of home dried tomatoes. I posted a photo to my FB acct: [link no longer active]
Ann it looks so good! I saw your FB pic!! Thanks so much for writing in and for sharing the photo. Hope it tasted as good as it looked!
Just made this for dinner, and was thoroughly pleased. I had some extra spring onions on hand, and used a dozen eggs because I had a large pie plate to fill, but otherwise followed the recipe as is. We had some leftover ramp pesto from your pizza recipe, so added a dollop as we were serving and it was an amazing combination. We are looking forward to leftovers!
Yay!! So happy to hear this. Love the idea of putting the ramp pesto to use … the ramps are finally arriving at our co-op. VERY exciting!
Wow! I love quiche, but looks like it must be the Queen of all quiches! Plus, I just love the idea of a potato crust : less messy and quicker than making dough, delicious and no more soggy dough when re-heated in the microwave at work! Definitely going to try this soon!
Your recipes look so amazing! I just officially gave up meat this week after watching horrific animal slaughtering and animal abuses for the human pleasures. I have not touched meat in 6 days and am feeling fab!do you have a good vegan chicken recipe? I am searching for a good cutlet version.
This sounds great, I wonder though if I could use gluten free flour instead of normal or do you need the gluten as an extra hold all together factor. So close to being a great and easy gf bake.???
I think you definitely could us gf flour or simply omit it — I’ve made plenty of quiches/custard-based dishes that call for no flour in the custard, so my instinct is to say omit it. It will still be delicious!
Hi! This looks lovely! I’ve never cooked with creme fraiche before and am wondering if I could add goat cheese to this with a few veggies?
Go for it!
Ali, I make a potato crusted quiche from Real Simple that calls for the thinly sliced potatoes to be baked at a high heat about 15 min alone, then another few minutes with about a quarter to half cup of fontina cheese. You then let it cool for about 10 min, before lowering the heat and continuing on with the rest if the recipe. Do you think that addition would work well here, or is (gasp) the cheese truly not needed? (Love your photos here, as usual.)
That sounds AMAZING and YES go for it. I bet the cheese helps crisp up the crust even better. Love this idea so much. Would love to give it a go sometime soon.
This looks so wonderful, and I’m going to try it this week! I was wondering if you’ve tried this recipe/technique using vegetables (like blanched asparagus, or greens like spinach or kale) in addition to or in place of some of the herbs? Thanks!
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Hi Jane! Yes, I love adding raw kale or chard to this (as in this original recipe) and I think blanched asparagus would be great. Hope it works out well for you!
Thanks so much for your reply, I will definitely try those variations and let you know!
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This is delicious, I’ve already made it twice and am baking a big version tomorrow in a lasagne pan!
One question – would it work to parbake the potato crust the night before?
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Hi Will! Apologies for the delay here. I think parbaking the night before would be fine. My only question would be about storing it after it has parbaked and cooled. If you have two large 2-gallon ziplocks you could wrap around the lasagna pan, I think that would work. I just would hate for the potatoes to dry out.
Made this for breakfast today, it’s delicious! The potatoes held together beautifully. It’s a nice change of pace from my usual breakfast recipes. Thanks for sharing.
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Great to hear, Beth! Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂