Food & Drink

Hot Brown Quiche

Serves 4

A Derby-season snack from Louisville’s Brown Hotel

Photo: Courtesy of the Brown Hotel


A warm and bubbly open-faced layering of roast turkey, tomato, bacon, and a cheesy Mornay sauce, the Hot Brown has its origins in the Prohibition-era party scene. The thousand-plus guests who came to Louisville’s Brown Hotel for dinner and dancing each night during the 1920s grew tired of the ham and eggs the hotel served as a late-night snack. So Chef Fred K. Schmidt unveiled the Hot Brown, a sandwich hearty enough to keep dancers on their feet until the wee hours of the morning.

Brown Hotel chef Laurent Géroli’s Hot Brown Quiche is a fresh take on the sandwich that’s easy to bake and serve come Derby day. With all the rich flavor of the original but less day-of hassle, it’s a fun party snack with serious Kentucky roots.


Ingredients

  • Quiche

    • 6 eggs

    • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

    • 1 cup roasted turkey breast, chopped

    • 1/4 cup tomato, seeded and diced

    • 1/4 cup bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped

    • 4 four-inch pie shells

  • Mornay Sauce

    • 2 1/2 tbsp. butter

    • 3 tbsp. all purpose flour

    • 2 cups heavy cream

    • 1 pinch nutmeg

    • 2 oz. grated Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling

    • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Garnish

    • 1 tbsp. paprika

    • 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered

    • 2 tbsp. parsley


Preparation

  1. To make the quiche batter, whisk eggs and whole milk together. Chill well.

  2. Split the turkey, tomato and bacon evenly into the 4 pie shells. Pour in quiche batter, filling to the rim. Bake in a preheated oven at 325° for 10-15 minutes until set. The quiche should be golden brown and firm.

  3. To make the Mornay sauce, first make a roux by melting the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and adding the flour to it. Continue to cook, using a rubber spatula to keep it from burning. Add cream and whisk in the roux to slightly thicken the sauce. Add nutmeg, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Pour Mornay over the premade quiche. Sprinkle with paprika and place 2 pieces of Roma tomato on top. Sprinkle with remaining  Romano cheese and bake at 325° for 5-7 minutes or until sauce bubbles. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.


tags: