Shiitake Mushroom Quiche with Gluten-Free Crust

Shiitake Mushroom Quiche with Herbed Gluten-Free Crust recipe is ideal for brunches, lunches, light afternoon meals or picnics. Shiitake mushrooms give a special and wonderful flavor. The wine and sage are counterpointed by the earthy mushrooms in this preparation. This quiche is adequate for six people as a starter or for four as a luncheon main course. Best served with a salads like tomato, cucumber and radishes or steamed fresh asparagus.



Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 2/3 cup brown rice flour, more for dusting
• 1/3 cup quinoa flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 6-8 Tbsp. ice cold water

For the quiche filling: 

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp. dry white wine
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 oz. grated cheese

Directions:

Add the brown rice flour, quinoa flour, potato starch, salt, pepper and herbs to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and pulse few times, until the butter is cut into pea-size pieces.

Add ice cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. It will not form a ball. Check the dough to see if it holds together when pressed between your fingers. If it's too crumbly and will not hold together, add more water.

Turn the dough onto a work surface, knead it a couple of times, and press it together to form a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap. Press it down to flatten it and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

I did not roll the dough, I just fill a tart pan with the dough using my hands. The dough is not very easy to work with, but it bakes so wonderfully and comes out so delicious, so it's worth the effort. Chill the dough for another 30 minutes while preparing the mushroom filling.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

To make the filling, in a large fry pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 8 minutes. Add the white wine and sage, season with salt and pepper, stir to combine, cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and let the filling cool slightly.

In a medium bowl mix together the eggs, cornstarch and half-and-half. Add cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.

Fill the tart pan with mushroom mixture. Pour the egg mixture over the filling. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Slightly cool before cutting.