Rock shrimp in a pesto “naked” quiche

Judy needed a dish to share at a potluck for some of her Masters swimming companions.

The refrigerator yielded some low-fat sour cream and some heavy whipping cream — not enough of either for a quiche, but together they’d be enough. Rich, yes, but . . . it was a party dish . . . .

I had part of a jar of Trader Joe’s traditional pesto. I had pine nuts and pecorino romano to beef up TJ’s pesto which is very good, but which happily accepts beefing up.

I had plenty of Sonoma jack to shred, and plenty of TJ’s jumbo eggs (still just under $2 a dozen, a bargain in these here parts — and they are local, to boot).

And I had a half-pound of frozen, raw, wild-caught rock shrimp.

I toasted a quarter cup of pine nuts, added some toasted sesame seed oil, and quickly sauteed the rock shrimp. Both the nuts and the seafood needed tending as they cooked. Knowing that, I’d whomped the eggs, cream, sour cream, grated jack and pecorino romano; now the mixture went into my ten-inch oven-tolerant non-stick skillet and I was on my way to a crust-less (“naked”) quiche.

I developed a bottom crust, in effect, over moderately high heat while the broiler heated. I wound up alternating the pan between the stove top and the broiler.

With all but the center firming up, I decided I’d better add some pecorino romano and Italian-herbed fine bread crumbs to the top. It was a good idea. It helped the quiche firm up. Better yet, the dry topping got golden-brown under the broiler and the product was . . . gorgeous!

Judy said the quiche tray flew around the room three times to an extended chorus of “Tell Bob this is wonderful!” I’d love to have been able to taste it. But, face it, after 40 years or more of cooking, I had every confidence it’d be good.

I could have gone to the party. But instead, I got to stay home and watch the Giants squeeze past the Braves on TV. That was good, too. — Bob Cramer, The Fearless Taster.