Quiche Lorraine

The addition of Gruyère cheese makes a Quiche au Gruyere and the addition of onion makes Quiche Alsacienne.

Traditionally served hot or cold as a first course, it also makes an elegant light lunch or supper dish served with a tossed mixed salad and crusty bread and, to drink, some well-chilled Alsatian Riesling or Traminer.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

Shortcrust Pastry:

• 200g flour/ 1 1/4 cup flour
• 100g butter/ 1/2 cup butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1-2 Tbsps water as needed

Filling:

• 3-4 eggs
• 150ml cream/ 1 cup cream
• 180g/ 3/4 cup lean bacon bits, or rashers cut into small pieces
• 150g/ 2/3 cup gruyere cheese diced or shredded
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of nutmeg

Preparation for Quiche Lorraine

Shortcrust

Step 1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in butter until mixture resembles sand.

Step 2. Add egg and water and mix until just incorporated.

Step 3. Form a ball with dough and crush dough with palm of hand against counter to incorporate all butter.

Step 4. Chill for 15 minutes or up to one day.

Step 5. Roll dough out to fit desired tart pan and prick with tines of fork.

Step 6. Fill to the top with dried beans or rice to prevent shrinking (it will shrink considerably otherwise).

Step 7. Blind bake for 5-10 minutes until golden brown at 160C/ 325F.

Filling:

Step 1. Whisk eggs, cream, nutmeg together.

Step 2. Fry or grill bacon until crisp.

Step 3. Brush pie crust with mustard.

Step 4. Fill crust in a single layer with bacon and then add cheese to cover.

Step 5. Pour egg/cream mixture over the bacon and cheese and fill to 1/4 inch of the top of the crust. If necessary make more egg/milk mixture to cover.

Step 6. Bake at 180C/350F for first 10 minutes then reduce to 160C/325F and bake until center barely jiggles and the egg filling is set, about 15-25 minutes more depending on pan size.

Step 7. Let cool slightly before serving to help the egg filling properly set.

Notes:

• If adding other filling make sure that they are cooked and drained of any liquid before adding to the cream/egg mixture. Also if the egg/cream mixture does not fill the tart pan to a 1/4" of the top of the crust then whip up another egg and some extra milk and add.
• The quiche mixture may drip over the edge of the pie crust while cooking; place it on a cookie sheet or place foil on the oven rack below it.
• The quiche will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven; be careful not to overcook it or cut it before it has had a chance to set.
• Half-and-half (cream with approximately 12% fat) can be substituted for regular cream to make this dish less fattening; however, be cautious of using milk because low-fat dairy products curdle more easily.




Bon Appétit!


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