iron stef: smoked salmon potato quiche/tart

Sometimes I get a whole loaf of pumpernickel bread because I want one fancy grilled cheese sandwich. When this happens I stress about the unused majority of said loaf for a couple of days until I either throw it in the freezer in a panic or make croutons. This time it came down to the wire.

I wondered if I could make a savory crumb crust... like the graham cracker crusts I love on cheesecakes, but with bread crumbs. I toasted the pumpernickel and mixed it with butter.... it was crumbly but seemed to work. I filled the crust with some of pumpernickel's best friends.... smoked salmon, red onions and capers. And, yep, eggs. Boom. Quiche. I added yogurt to the eggs and half & half to give that tang that a cream cheese would give a traditional bagel & lox. And hash browns because hashbrowns (I think these also helped add structure to the crumbly crust.)

I don't know if this counts as a quiche because the egg mixture doesn't cover all the fillings, but it does act as a binder. Maybe it's a tart? Either way, it's a savory, hearty, interesting slice of fun.

Smoked Salmon Potato Quiche/Tart

-6-7 slices stale pumpernickle bread (you'll want enough to make about 2 cups of crumbs)
-spray oil (or you can brush on olive oil)
-onion powder to taste
-4 oz. butter
-1.5 cups shredded potatoes (I used those pre-bagged hashbrowns. If you are shredding your own, make sure to squeeze them dry thoroughly)
-1 medium red onion, chopped
-4 eggs
-3/4 cup half & half
-8 oz. plain greek yogurt
-1 Tablespoon fresh chopped dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
-about 4 oz. of smoked salmon scraps, pulled or chopped into bite-size pieces
-1/4 cup capers, drained

Heat the oven to 375ºF. Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Spray or brush with oil and sprinkle with onion powder and salt as desired. Bake until fully dried and crunchy but not burnt (this will depend on your bread, but mine took about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a little bit of oil until they are soft and just starting to brown. Remove from heat.

Crush the pumpernickle toast or pulse in a food processor to create bread crumbs. Mix with butter and press into a springform pan or a pie plate, going up the sides as much as you can, while keeping the bottom well-covered. place the shredded potatoes on top of the crumb crust. Top with the cooked onions, then the salmon, then sprinkle with the capers. Whisk the eggs, half & half and yogurt together, and season with a pinch of salt. Pour egg mixture into the pie crust. It will not cover all of the ingredients like a traditional quiche.

Bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes until egg is set and salmon is starting to brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.