Quiche Lorraine
This is a dish of restraint. When done correctly, it is neither a heavy casserole nor a dense egg cake, but a light, silky suspension that contrasts against a brittle, buttery crust.
Temperature control is your primary tool.
Keep your butter cold while building the crust to ensure flake, and bring your eggs and cream to room temperature before mixing to ensure a smooth, uniform set.
- 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
- pie weights or dried beans
- parchment paper
- whisk
- heavy-bottomed skillet
What goes in.
- 1 1/4 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/2 cupcold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 tspsalt
- 3 tbspice water
- 6 ozthick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 3large eggs
- 1 cupheavy cream
- 1/4 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
- to tasteblack pepper
Don't overcook the eggs
The custard should be pulled from the oven when the outer two inches are set and opaque, but the center still jiggles like firm gelatin; it will finish cooking in the residual heat.
The method.
Prepare the crust
Pulse flour, salt, and cold butter until it resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, mix just until it holds together, then press into the tart pan. Chill for 30 minutes.
Blind bake
Line the chilled dough with parchment and fill with weights. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, remove weights, and bake another 10 minutes until the base is dry and pale gold.
Render the lardons
Sauté bacon over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the edges are crisp. Drain on paper towels, leaving a thin film of fat in the pan if desired for flavor.
Whisk the base
Whisk eggs, cream, nutmeg, and pepper until uniform but not frothy. Over-whisking incorporates too much air, which leads to large bubbles in the final structure.
Assemble and bake
Scatter bacon evenly across the bottom of the crust. Pour the egg mixture slowly over the bacon. Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes until the center is just set.
Other turns to take.
Herb-infused
Steep a sprig of fresh thyme in the cream for 10 minutes before whisking into the eggs.
Shallot accent
Sauté two finely minced shallots in the rendered bacon fat until translucent before adding them to the shell.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork before blind-baking to prevent air pockets from forming.
If the crust edges brown too quickly, shield them with a ring of aluminum foil halfway through the bake.
Let the quiche rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing; this allows the proteins in the egg to firm up for clean lines.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I add cheese?
Traditional Quiche Lorraine does not include cheese. If you add it, it becomes a different dish entirely, though Gruyère is the most common deviation.
Why is my crust soggy?
This happens if the filling is added to a warm crust or if the crust was not blind-baked sufficiently. Ensure the bottom is matte and dry to the touch before adding liquid.