Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is a traditional savory custard pie from the Lorraine region of France that has been prepared for centuries. The tradition of making this classic dish in my family dates back to the mid-eighties when it was introduced into my family culture by my step-dad, Jim. Jim, although he has a limited repertoire in the kitchen, is more than a competent cook. His specialty is Christmas morning when he makes various quiches, always including quiche Lorraine. The tradition that has stuck like burnt custard, and these days I’m the one in the kitchen on Christmas morning.

One of the great things about quiche is that it’s a concept that is wide open to riffs and personal takes. A variety of veggies, meats, seafood, herbs, and cheeses can be used, from tomatoes, spinach, chard, mushrooms, chicken, broccoli, shrimp — the combinations are almost infinite. One of the best quiches I’ve ever had was made with Dungeness crab, and it was divine.

Though I always make sure that quiche is served as we open presents on Christmas mornings, I also cook quiche throughout the year, most often when we have company that has spent the night and we’re planning on having a leisurely morning. Another great thing about quiche is that it is almost as good cool as it is hot, so I often take it to parties, especially brunch affairs, having prepared it the night before. It’s always a good idea to make extra. Quiche makes a convenient week-day breakfast for the kids before school — just pop a few slices into the toaster oven for a quick-and-easy gourmet treat.

Ingredients:

· 6 – 8 slices of bacon

· 1 medium sweet onion, large dice

· Pastry for single crust pie

· 3 large eggs

· 1 ½ c. half and half (or use ¾ c. milk and ¾ c. cream)

· Scant dash of nutmeg

· Generous dash of pepper

· 6 oz. shredded gruyere cheese (about 1 ½ c.)

· 1 T. flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until crispy. Place the bacon on paper towels or clean newspaper to cool. Drain all but 2 T. of the bacon grease from the skillet.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté the onions in the bacon drippings until soft and beginning to turn golden (8-10 min).

4. Form the pastry into a pie pan. Line pastry with aluminum foil, shiny side down. Be careful not to press the foil too hard onto the crust – you’ll have to remove it while the crust is hot, soft, and sticky.

5. Bake the crust at 450° F for 5 min. Remove the foil and bake 5 – 7 min more, until the pastry is nearly cooked through. Reduce temperature to 325° F.

6. While the crust is cooking, prepare the filling.

7. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Mix in the half and half, nutmeg and pepper.

8. In a separate bowl, mix the cheese with the flour until cheese is coated evenly. Add to egg mixture.

9. Crumble the bacon and add to egg mixture with the onions. Mix filling to combine all ingredients.

10. Remove the pie crust from the oven. Immediately pour the filling into the hot pie crust leaving approximately ½ inch of crust above the filling because the filling will expand while it cooks*. Do not overfill. Put the quiche in the oven on the middle rack on top of a baking sheet (to catch any filling leaks).

11. Bake for 35 – 45 min at 325° F. When finished, the filling should have just set in the middle. Keep an eye on the quiche as it cooks. If it looks like the crust is getting too brown, remove the quiche from the oven, cover the just the crust with molded strips of aluminum foil, and return the quiche to the oven to finish cooking.

12. Let the quiche stand for 10 – 15 minutes before serving, if you can stand waiting that long!

*Depending on the size of your pie pan, you may have some filling left over. You can put this in a greased cupcake pan to make one or more individual quiche casseroles. It will finish cooking in less time than the quiche, approximately 25 min.