Fans of quiche have no trouble finishing it all in one sitting. The rest of us have to deal with the idea of storing quiche and reheating it when we feel like eating it again. What makes reheating a quiche complicated is that it’s mostly made up of an egg filling and eggs are notoriously difficult to reheat. They very quickly and easily lose texture in the reheating process and can become anything from rubbery to tough as hide if not heated up properly. Add to that a crust which needs to be kept crispy to experience the best of quiche and what you end up with is the definition of a heating nightmare. For the avoidance of doubt let’s clearly define a quiche.
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Quiche Defined
A quiche is a tart that is filled with egg custard and a long list of savoury ingredients that includes seafood, meat, cheese and vegetables. Quiche is most often made with a shortcrust pastry though some recipes use a flaky version of this. Quiche is believed to have originated in France with the earliest documented appearance of the egg tart traced back to 1605. The most popular quiche recipe is quiche Lorraine which contains bacon in the filling. Quiches can be served either hot or cold. There are crustless quiches such as the crustless spinach and feta quiche.
Storing Quiche
Before we get to reheating quiche we should talk about ways to store quiche correctly. Storing quiche correctly gives you the best chance of having a smooth reheating experience. With quiches, it’s important to pay attention to the contents of the filling. Quiches which contain large amounts of vegetables may give you trouble in the freezing process. Meanwhile, quiches such as quiche Lorraine which contain meat like bacon may be a problem in some heating processes as bacon doesn’t do well when heated in the microwave for example.
First things first make sure your quiche has completely cooled. In the cooling process make sure the quiche is not covered as this may trap moisture through condensation and ruin the integrity of the pastry. Once completely cooled it is recommended to cut the quiche into single-serving slices. You can then wrap the individual quiche slices in cling wrap or foil. If you’re going to put the quiche in the fridge cling wrap or foil will do and you can keep the quiche in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you intend to freeze the quiche it’s best to wrap the quiche in cling wrap twice over to be sure. You can then place the individually wrapped slices in a heavy-duty freezer bag and label with the date the bag went into the freezer. To thaw quiche, it is wise to thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Reheating Quiche In The Oven
One of the best ways to reheat quiche is in the oven. If you’ve stored your quiche correctly reheating it with the oven method will give you amazing results. The best part of it is you can reheat frozen or thawed quiche in the oven. If your quiche is coming from the fridge or has been thawed take the quiche out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before reheating it. This will allow the quiche to come to room temperature. Cover the quiche with foil. Now preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the quiche in an oven tray layered with foil or baking paper in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes and you should have a quiche that is evenly heated through and through. If you’re dealing with a frozen quiche just give it the same treatment but for 30 to 35 minutes in the oven. You can remove the quiche from the oven but keep the foil over it for 15 minutes before serving. Your target temperature when reheating food is 70 degrees Celsius and quiche is no exception.
Reheating Quiche In The Microwave
The biggest problem with heating a quiche in the microwave is that eggs get rubbery when rapidly heated. To heap onto that vegetables reheated in the microwave tend to be limp and soggy while meats like bacon easily wither away. However, you can still reheat a quiche in the microwave if you need to. The first thing to do is to get your quiche to room temperature as we discussed before. If you’re reheating a full quiche place it in the microwave unwrapped and uncovered and cook at 50% heat setting for 3 minutes. Your quiche should’ve heated up. However, if this is not the case return to the microwave for 30 seconds then let it rest for another 30 seconds. Continue this process until your quiche achieves the right temperature. If you’re reheating just a slice of quiche start with 30 seconds and follow the rest of the steps as explained.
Reheating In The Toaster/ Toaster Oven
Here’s another option if you possess a toaster oven or anything that can perform like one. As with the previous 2 methods, it’s important to get your quiche up to room temperature. Place the quiche on aluminium foil or baking paper then place on the oven tray. With the oven at 200 degrees, you can heat your quiche. A single slice will heat up in as little as 10 minutes while a whole quiche may take as long as 45 minutes. Unfortunately, just like the microwave method, you will not be able to use this method comfortably with a frozen quiche.
The oven reheating method is the most reliable way to heat a quiche. It may take time but is the most likely to give you the closest thing to a freshly baked quiche. Microwaves and toaster ovens provide faster reheating but their rapid reheating processes may comprise the quiche.
