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“Real men do eat Quiche, and every home cook should know hot to prepare it” — Paul Ebeling
Quiche Lorraine
YIELD: SERVES 6
My classic quiche Lorraine recipe should be a part of every home cook’s repertoire. For a delicious twist, I use black truffle butter in the crust.
In Y 1961, as a recent graduate of the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, Julia Child co-authored the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking and launched her career of educating Americans in delicious ways with food. In Y 1963 she began her own cooking show The French Chef. My recipe is a homage to Ms. Child.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- Pink salt, pinch
- 8 tablespoons Black Truffle Butter chilled
- Iced water, as needed
- 8 strips Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 eggs + 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 2 cups half & half
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Make the crust: Cut truffle butter into ½ in cubes and chill in the freezer for about 20 mins.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour and a pinch of salt. Add chilled butter, pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. While pulsing, slowly add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture starts to hold together in clumps. Total water amount will be between about 3-7 tablespoons depending on humidity. Turn mixture out onto a large piece of waxed paper or parchment and press together tightly into a disk. Wrap dough well and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place chilled dough between 2 large pieces of waxed paper or parchment and roll out into a 12-in circle. Carefully line a 9-in pie plate with the dough, folding the edges under to create a rim then crimp neatly. Place a sheet of parchment over the dough and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 15 mins. Remove weights and place pie dish on a rimmed sheet pan, set aside.
- Lower oven to 375F.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels then dice. To the rendered bacon fat, add shallots and thyme and sauté until soft, about 5 mins. Set aside to cool.
- In a large measuring cup with a pour spout, whisk together eggs, half & half, ½ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and pepper. To the pie crust, add bacon, shallots, and both cheeses; spread evenly. Carefully pour custard over the bacon/shallot/cheese mixture. Bake quiche until just set, about 25 mins. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe tips: This recipe is written to fit in a 9-inch pie dish that’s at least 2” deep. If using a shallow tart tin, there will be leftover custard. Quiche can be served warm or at room temperature for any meal of the day. We like a lightly dressed green salad on the side.
Note: Quiches and frittatas are both mainly comprised of a custard made from eggs and milk or cream. This custard base can be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce, or herbs. Both dishes are filled with an endless possibility of meat, cheese and vegetables. Frittatas’ are crust less.
Quiche requires an acidic red or white wine to cut through the wall of flavors, such as Prosecco, Beaujolais Villages, Pinot Gris, Riesling or Vermentino.
Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively
