Modern Snack Bar: Crab and Shrimp Quiche

I know a lot of people aren't super fans of quiche.  I get it.  Really, I do.  I've had some bad quiche in my time.  Flavorless sponge in a crust.  But I can promise you that this quiche is NOT bad quiche.  This quiche is packed full of flavor and fabulous seafood.  And it's smothered in cheese.  Did I mention that?  You really can't go wrong on the quiche front with this one.  It was even luxurious enough to feel like a treat on Christmas morning.

Note: The egg filling is ridiculously thick (not that I mind), so it doesn't really work its way down through the shrimp and crab if you pour it on top.  Since I didn't want baked shrimp and crab with quiche on top, I gently folded the shrimp and crab into the egg mixture before dumping it all in the pie shell.

Crab and Shrimp Quiche
From Modern Snack Bar, New York, NY, as seen in Saveur magazine, Jan/Feb 2014

1¼ cups flour, plus more for dusting

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons ice-cold water

½ pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
¼ pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked of shells
2 ounces shredded Cheddar
2 ounces shredded mozzarella

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
5 large eggs
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Pulse flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until pea-size crumbles form. Add water; pulse until dough comes together. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges and crimp; chill 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375°F. Using a fork, prick dough all over. Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights; let cool. 

Reduce oven to 325°F. Arrange shrimp over bottom of crust; sprinkle with crab. Whisk half each the cheddar and mozzarella, plus mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 teaspoon basil, the Old Bay, eggs, salt, and white pepper in a bowl; pour evenly over top of shrimp and crab. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and basil; bake until filling is set, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let quiche cool in pan, then unmold and cut into slices.

Makes 6 to 8 servings