Easter is this Sunday, so today I give you two recipes that look both lovely and delicious enough to serve for an Easter brunch. Or, if your family is having a traditional ham for dinner, this salad might be a fun way to serve leftovers. Quiche is always a classic, and gruyere cheese is one of my all-time favorites, in or out of a quiche. You can of course substitute store-bought pie dough if you don’t want to make your own. Happy eating, and happy Easter!
Country Ham and Mango Salad
from Bobby Flay’s All-American Flavors, published in Food and Wine magazine, July 2005
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon molasses
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces mesclun greens (8 cups)
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 ounces thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto
Directions
1. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard and molasses; season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking until emulsified.
2. In a large bowl, toss the greens and mangoes with two-thirds of the dressing. Transfer the salad to a platter and top with the ham. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the ham and serve.
Spinach and Gruyere Quiches
serves 10 (makes 2 quiches)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
3 shallots, minced
3 bunches flat-leaf spinach, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
1 recipe Basic Pie Dough, fitted into two 9-inch pie plates
8 large eggs
3 cups half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium. Add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add as much spinach to skillet as will fit; season with salt and pepper, and toss, adding more spinach as room becomes available, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer spinach mixture to a colander. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Divide spinach mixture and cheese between prepared crusts. Place each crust on a separate rimmed baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Dividing evenly, pour egg mixture into crusts.
Arrange baking sheets on racks, and bake until center of each quiche is just set, 55 to 60 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Let quiches stand 15 minutes before serving.
Cook's Note: Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate up to 1 day. Reheat at 350 degrees until warm in the center, 30 to 40 minutes.
