Quiche Nicoise

Quiche Nicoise carries the flavors of a Provençal sunlit terrace into a savory tart. This is not the classic Lorraine with bacon and cream. It trades heavy dairy for a sun-ripe tomato base, salty anchovy fillets, black olives, and a shower of herbes de Provence. The flavors read like a Nicoise salad gone into custard form.

The filling builds in a single pan. Onion softens in olive oil, garlic joins for two more minutes, then two pounds of peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes tumble in with the herbes. Covered simmer for ten minutes lets everything slump into a jammy pulp, another uncovered ten concentrates the juices so the filling won’t water out the custard. Off the heat, three eggs beaten with chopped anchovies, a glug of olive oil, tomato paste, parsley, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne fold in. The whole lot pours into a prepared shell, topped with olives, grated cheese, and a drizzle of oil before baking.

Kitchen Tips

• Reduce the tomatoes until they look almost like a thick jam. Watery tomatoes mean a soggy quiche bottom.
• Chop the anchovies very fine so they dissolve into the custard as it bakes. You want their savoriness throughout, not in identifiable lumps.
• Use good cured Niçoise olives or Kalamatas on top, not canned California black. The cured brininess is essential.
• Let the finished quiche rest 15 minutes before slicing. The custard sets fully during the rest and slices clean.

Variations

• Pissaladière style: Skip the eggs and bake the tomato mix on a flatbread-like base with the olives and anchovies on top for the classic Nice street snack.
• Add tuna: Flake a small can of tuna into the custard for a proper Nicoise echo.
• Roasted pepper: Fold in a chopped roasted red pepper for extra smoke and sweetness.