Quintessential Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipes

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:

• 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.

THE BEST QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• For the pastry crust: Pulse the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the flour looks like cornmeal. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse again.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
• Lightly flour a work surface, then roll the dough into an 11-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Center the dough in a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, with an even overhang of dough all around. Press the dough into the edges of the pan and the fluted sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top to cut off the extra dough (discard the extra). Poke the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill until completely cold, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Press a piece of parchment over the chilled crust, then fill with pie weights, raw beans or rice. Put the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is set and golden around the edges, about 40 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights. Return to the oven and bake until the crust is dry and slightly golden, about 15 minutes more. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the butter, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely softened and all the water has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a separate medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.
• When the onions have cooked for 30 minutes, add the bacon using a slotted spoon, then stir in 1 teaspoon of the thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread the onion mixture in the bottom of the crust and sprinkle with the Gruyere. Whisk together the cream, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the cream mixture over the filling in the crust and top with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme.
• Bake the quiche on the baking sheet until set and golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

EASY QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Line pastry with a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until crust is set. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease in skillet. Cook onion in reserved drippings until tender; drain and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk and salt. Stir in bacon and onion. In a separate bowl, toss cheese and flour together. Add cheese to egg mixture; stir well. Pour mixture into hot pastry shell.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edges of crust with foil to prevent burning. Let quiche cool for 10 minutes before serving.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a 13-inch circle from dough. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim dough flush with top edge of pan. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line tart shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until dough starts to feel firm on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; continue baking until crust is pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Leave oven on.
• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Whisk eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour mixture into tart shell, and scatter the bacon strips on top. Bake until puffed and pale golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

THE BEST QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-in. springform pan; press firmly against bottom and sides. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan. Add onions to drippings; cook and stir over medium heat until caramelized, 20-25 minutes. Stir in thyme, pepper and nutmeg; remove from the heat. Cool slightly. Stir in cheeses and reserved bacon; spoon into crust. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and cream until blended; pour over top. Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet., Bake on a lower oven rack until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 75-85 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Remove rim from pan.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt with a fork in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the egg and butter. Mix all the ingredients, using the fork to mash the butter and beat the egg into the flour, until everything is blended together, roughly.
• Spoon over the dough about 1 to 3 tablespoons of ice water, and mix together, using the fork or a plastic flexible pastry dough scraper. If using a dough scraper, press down on the dough and smear it a bit, to get the butter cubes to incorporate without letting the heat of your hands warm up the dough. Work quickly and with muscle.
• Use your hands to quickly work the dough into a flat disc, and refrigerate an hour.
• Butter a false-bottomed fluted tart pan, 8 inches wide and 2 inches deep. Refrigerate pan. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch, rotating every few strokes, to keep the disc round and even. Drop the disc over the tart pan, and gently press the dough into the bottom and side, allowing excess to extend beyond the top of the ring. Roll a pin over the tart shell, and remove the excess dough. Use your finger to press each flute of the fluted edges. Prick the floor of the shell with a fork several times, then freeze the shell for 20 minutes.
• Set the tart pan on a baking sheet, line the shell with parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and the beans, and if bottom is not beginning to turn golden, return to oven for a few minutes until it starts to puff and toast golden. Let cool on a rack until ready to fill.
• Blanch the pancetta in boiling water and drain, rinse in cold water, drain and then dry on paper towels. Heat the oil in skillet, and brown the pancetta over medium heat, then drain on paper towels.
• Spread the cooked pancetta in the bottom of the pastry shell. Then sprinkle around the grated Gruyère, minus 1 loose handful.
• Whisk the eggs and the yolks, then add the cream and whisk together until homogeneous. Season with salt and pepper and a few vigorous rasps of the nutmeg on a microplane. Pour the custard into the tart shell, place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 20 minutes.
• Lower temperature to 400, and if the quiche is getting dark, cover loosely with foil, then continue baking for 10 or 15 more minutes, until the center just puffs and starts to crack, with a still-jiggly center.
• Remove quiche from oven, and scatter remaining cheese across the top. Place on a wire baking rack to cool, remove the ring and let set at least 30 minutes before serving.

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.

QUICHE LORRAINE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place bacon in a large skillet, and fry over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop coarsely. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion into pastry shell.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge., For filling, sprinkle pastry with bacon. Whisk eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg until blended; stir in cheese. Pour over top., Bake on a lower oven rack for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°; continue to bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.