Longanisa Quiche with Homemade Cured Pork Sausages

This Longanisa Quiche with Homemade Cured Pork Sausages is a great classic made new for a family brunch or dinner. Longanisa, the cured pork sausages in the Philippines are often served for breakfast paired with 'sinangag' (garlic fried rice) and eggs. For the holidays, I made a large batch of homemade longanisa. It is an easy, make-ahead process which involves storing the sausages in the freezer to set a few days. Just in time for our Christmas and New Year's day family brunches, I whipped up this quick-to-do Longanisa Quiche with the longanisas, leftover cheeses and vegetables, plus added some eggs. After a few minutes of baking, the cheesy aromas came out of the oven. The quiche smelled divine with a whiff of the garlicky, tangy longanisa sausages embedded in the melted cheese mix. The longanisa pork sausage and pie crust recipe were adapted from "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan. The quiche is an Asian In America recipe. This 9-inch quiche serves 4 to 6 as a side, for 2 as an entree.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Merienda, Side Dish, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Longanisa Quiche

Servings: people

Calories: 480kcal

Ingredients

1 whole to fit bottom of pie recipe below pie crust for a 9-inch pie
2 Tablespoons for brushing on pie crust melted butter
1 pound homemade recipe follows below (or use store bought), cooked, about 2 cups cut up longanisa, Filipino pork cured sausages
6 whole large pieces beaten eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup steamed or roasted, slice into 2-inch pieces fresh asparagus (cooked)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon to pre-cook longanisa vegetable or corn oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Prepare a 9-inch pie plate by greasing the bottom and sides.
Make-ahead Pie crust recipe: in a large bowl blend 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour with 6 tablespoons cold butter and 2 tablespoons cold Crisco shortening. Using a pastry blender (or a knife and fork), blend till flour mixture looks like small peas. Add 1 cold beaten egg and blend till dough pulls aways from sides of the bowl. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons ice cold water to make dough stick together. (Note: use a food processor to make pie crust if it is more convenient). Form dough in a round disc and cover all around with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours to keep firm till ready to roll out.
Roll out the pie crust dough on a floured surface. Transfer on the pie plate and press dough to flatten. Use a fork to press it evenly on all sides. Brush the top of the pie crust with melted butter. Bake at 375 F for 12 minutes to brown the pie crust. Remove from oven and set aside while filling is prepared.
Make-ahead Longanisa recipe: in a medium bowl, mix together 1 pound ground pork, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon white wine. When blended, shape the longanisas into 2-inch sized sausages. Arrange them in a plastic container, lined up, leaving 2-inch spaces in between. Seal the plastic container well and freeze longanisas for at least 12 hours for flavors to set. (Tip: I make these ahead on weekends before the holidays or a big family event). This recipe serves 4.
Have longanisas ready thawed at room temperature. In a medium-sized skillet, over medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. After 1 to 2 minutes, when oil is hot enough, add the longanisas. Pan fry for about 15 to 17 minutes till brown and nearly cooked. Remove from skillet and drain on parchment paper to remove excess oil. (Note: do not overcook longanisa, they will have to be baked some more with the quiche).
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk till fluffy. Add the heavy cream and blend well. Set aside to assemble the quiche.
To assemble the quiche: take the pie plate with the pre-baked pie crust; arrange in this order - longanisas, asparagus, half of the cheese, heavy cream and egg mixture, top with half of the grated cheese. Bake the quiche at 375 F degrees for 25 to 28 minutes till top is a golden brown crust. Serve hot or cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Cook's comments: For a more savory longanisa recipe, I have also made the one from Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan. It contains 1 pound pork butt, ground, 1 teaspoon each of freshly ground white and black pepper, a tablespoon of salt, 2 egg yolks. I omit the pork casing indicated. Instead, I mix the ingredients well and shape the skinless longanisas into sausages, then freeze them in a plastic sealed container till ready to cook. This amount serves 4.
Ingredient tip: If using store-bought longanisas which have casings, before cooking in the skillet, remove sausage casing and cut up meat coarsely. Cook according to package directions for about 15 to 18 minutes. Then assemble longanisa with the rest of the quiche as directed above.
Substitute notes: Replace vegetables with spinach, green beans, peas or anything you prefer that is within reach. I used leftover cooked vegetables. This is a very forgiving recipe and anything can go in it with marvelous results.

Nutrition