Quintessential Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipes

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. (If it cracks while baking, see note below for instructions on how to patch it up.) Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
• Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
• Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
• Note: Don't panic if your crust has cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then proceed with the recipe. If the crust cracks while blind baking, patch it afterwards and place it back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be fully prepared up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.

CLASSIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp; transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate using a slotted spoon; let bacon drain.
• Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings from pan.
• Add in onion and shallot; stir/saute for 5 minutes or until tender; stir in parsley.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; add in onion mixture and bacon; stir to combine.
• Sprinkle cheese over the bottom of the pie shell.
• Pour egg mixture over all.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean (cover pie crust edges as appropriate if become too brown).
• Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Make the Shortcrust pastry, recipe below, leaving to chill for 30 minutes before using.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the tart pan with the pastry dough, and bake 'blind'.
• Filling: Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Then sweat the onions gently in the same oil for 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, add the cream, parsley and chives, cheeses, and cool bacon and onions. Mix well and add seasoning.
• Pour the filling into the pastry base and return to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center has set. Serve warm with a green salad and relish.
• Put the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together.
• With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Makes 1 crust (about 14 ounces).

QUINTESSENTIAL CLASSIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Partially bake pie crust for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• TURN DOWN oven temperature to 375°F.
• Separate one of the 3 eggs, reserving the yolk and white. In a large bowl add 2 eggs and the yolk to bowl, reserving the egg white. You will add the egg white back to this bowl shortly.
• Using the reserved egg white, liberally brush the bottom and sides of the pre-baked crust. Set aside the crust. Add the egg white to the other eggs and beat lightly.
• Stir in milk, nutmeg, and red pepper. Whisk until well blended.
• Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the bottom of the pre-baked pie shell.
• Top with crumbled bacon or diced ham.
• Pour in the egg-milk mixture.
• Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Reminder: OVEN TEMPERATURE should be 375° before proceeding.
• Place the pie on the bottom of the oven shelf; bake until lightly browned and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean but moist, 30-35 minutes. My quiche took longer to bake. I added time in 5-7 minute increments until done.
• *If your pie crust is browning too quickly, cover with strips of aluminum foil.
• Let quiche cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes; cut into wedges.

JULIA CHILD'S QUICHE LORRAINE - ADAPTED

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Bake pie crust for 5 minutes, so that it is partially cooked.
• Brown bacon in a skillet. Drain on paper towels. Press pieces into bottom of pastry shell.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, cream, and seasonings until blended. Check seasonings. Pour into pastry shell; dot top with butter.
• Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the quiche has puffed and browned.

EASY QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• For crust, combine flour and salt. Add shortening and cut in with pastry blender until dough resembles cornmeal. Add water one tablespoon at a time just until dough sticks together. Roll out on floured surface and place in greased 9 inch pie plate, crimping edges.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For filling, fry onions in a skillet just until tender.
• Place onions and cheese in pie crust.
• In a medium bowl, combine milk, eggs, salt, flour and nutmeg. Whisk until smooth.
• Pour over onions and cheese.
• Bake quiche in 350 F oven for 40-45 minutes.

CLASSIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
• Pastry:
• Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in the egg-yolk and sufficient iced water to bind the ingredients.
• Knead the dough lightly, and then chill in the refrigerator for thirty minutes. (I always cover the pastry with clingwrap).
• While pastry is 'resting',
• Melt half the butter in a frying pan and cook the bacon pieces gently until lightly coloured.
• Put the cream and eggs in a bowl and whisk together. Add the grated nutmeg and seasoning.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a buttered 23cm/9 inch loose-bottomed flan tin. Prick the base of the flan with a fork.
• Sprinkle the cooked bacon pieces over the base of the pastry case and dot with the remaining butter.
• Pour in the cream and egg mixture.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 30 minutes, or until set and golden brown.

CLASSIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare pie crust. If choosing to use a frozen crust, be sure it is completely thawed per package instructions. If you are using a refrigerated pie crust/dough prepare in a 9-inch glass or metal pie pan and set aside. Follow any package instructions for pre-cooking or pre-baking.
• Cook bacon slices in a medium pan on medium-high heat until crisp. Pat bacon dry with a paper towel and crumble. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, heavy cream and milk and mix well until thoroughly blended.
• Combine shredded cheese, chopped onion, bacon, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add to egg mixture and mix well.
• Pour egg mixture into pie crust and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

BEAUTIFUL QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Combine the cheese and flour and sprinkle into the pie shell.
• Spread the ham evenly over this.
• Combine the eggs, milk, salt and mustard.
• Beat until smooth and pour evenly over the cheese and ham.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the custard is set.
• Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley.
• To freeze: Prepare recipe through step 4. Wrap well with saran wrap and then foil. Freeze.
• To serve: Thaw in fridge overnight. Bake as directed.