Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is cool weather comfort food and the perfect dish to make at this time of the year when the kitchen calls us back again to cook something warm and delicious. I love making quiches and I find them to be equally satisfying for brunch, lunch, or, a light dinner. The leftovers heat well and make an easy, portable work or school lunch the next day.
I often make variations of my trusty leek and spinach quiche or asparagus and caramelized onion quiche, but quiche Lorraine, the simplest of all, is the one my family asks for all the time. With staple ingredients like cheese, ham (or bacon), onions, and eggs it is very easy to oblige their request!
A simple pie dough is the base for the quiche, but one can also use a pre-made pie crust (but NOT the sweet kind, of course). The crust needs to be baked “blind” with some pie weights to keep it from puffing up and to ensure that it remains crisp and flaky. Once the crust is done, it is topped with your favorite grated cheese, sautéed onions and bacon, and a simple custard of eggs and cream (or even half and half). The photo tutorial, below, visually explains these simple steps.
If you make this quiche this weekend’s project, would you let me know how it went?
- 1½ cups AP flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
- 4 TBSP. ice cold water
- 4 oz. smoked bacon, sliced thinly
- 2 lrg. onions, finely chopped
- --- --- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 lrg. eggs
- 8 oz. cream (heavy or light or half & half)
- ½-¾ cup Gruyère (or Swiss) cheese, coarsely grated
- 1 TBSP. flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp.freshly ground pepper
- Prepare the crust: Process the flour, salt and the butter in the bowl of a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, slowly add the water. Pulse until the dough just holds together (no more than 30 seconds). Flatten the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. (This dough freezes very well for up to a month.)
- As the dough chills, prepare the filling. In a large, heavy skillet, sauté the bacon for about 4-5 minutes and then add the onions, along with some salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly brown and the bacon is crispy. Remove them from the heat and reserve.
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- Roll out the chilled dough (as quickly as possible) between two pieces of plastic wrap, to form a 10” round. Drape the dough over a 9” fluted, deep tart plate and press it lightly into the bottom and sides of the pan, folding the top inward. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and line it with a large piece of parchment paper. Top with ceramic pie weights (or a bag of dry beans) and "blind bake" for 10 minutes. This will keep the crust in place and prevent it from bubbling. After 10 minutes, remove the weights and the parchment paper and bake for two-three more minutes.
- Remove the quiche shell from the oven. Reduce the heat to 375 °F.
- Prepare the custard: In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and the cream with the 1 TBSP. of flour and the salt and pepper. First, sprinkle the cheese to the bottom of the cooked dough. Next, add the cooled onion mixture and last, pour the custard over the mixture.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the custard feels firm to the touch and the shell is puffed and lightly browned. Place on a wire rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Sautéed onions and bacon
Baked quiche dough topped with grated Gruyère cheese
The sautéed onions and bacon are spread over the cheese
The custard of eggs and cream is poured over the filling, then baked.
Quiche Lorraine just out of the oven!
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Mmmmm that looks delish! Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you try it….. It really is a delicious and not too hard dish to make!