Authentic Quiche Lorraine Food

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:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a nine-inch pie plate with the pastry. By all means build a rim with the pastry and flute it. This is essential for the amount of custard indicated in this recipe.
• Cover the bottom of the pastry with a round of parchment paper and add enough dried beans or peas to partly fill the shell. Bake 10 minutes.
• Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees. Remove and discard the beans and parchment paper and set the pastry-lined pie plate aside.
• Cook the bacon until crisp and remove it from skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat remaining in the skillet. Cook the onion in the remaining fat until the onion is transparent.
• Crumble the bacon and sprinkle the bacon, onion and cheeses over the inside of the partly baked pastry.
• Combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste. Strain the mixture over the onion-cheese mixture. Slide the pie onto a baking sheet.
• Bake the pie until a knife inserted one inch from the pastry edge comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Let stand five or 10 minutes before serving.

ULTIMATE QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• For the pastry, put 175g plain flour, 100g cold butter, cut into pieces, 1 egg yolk and 4 tsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button, process until the mix binds.
• Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a smooth ball, then roll out as thinly as you can.
• Line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin, easing the pastry into the base.
• Trim the pastry edges with scissors (save any trimmings) so it sits slightly above the tin (if it shrinks, it shouldn't now go below the level of the tin). Press the pastry into the flutes, lightly prick the base with a fork, then chill for 10 mins.
• Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line pastry case with foil, shiny side down, fill with dry beans and bake on the hot sheet for 15 mins.
• Remove foil and beans and bake for 4-5 mins more until the pastry is pale golden. If you notice any small holes or cracks, patch up with pastry trimmings. You can make up to this point a day ahead.
• While the pastry cooks, prepare the filling. Heat a small frying pan, tip in 200g lardons and fry for a couple of mins. Drain off any liquid that comes out, then continue cooking until the lardons just start to colour, but aren't crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Cut three quarters of the 50g gruyère into small dice and finely grate the rest. Scatter the diced gruyère and fried lardons over the bottom of the pastry case.
• Using a spoon, beat 200ml crème fraîche to slacken it then slowly beat in 200ml double cream. Mix in 3 well beaten eggs. Season (you shouldn't need much salt) and add a pinch of ground nutmeg. Pour three quarters of the filling into the pastry case.
• Half-pull the oven shelf out and put the flan tin on the baking sheet. Quickly pour the rest of the filling into the pastry case - you get it right to the top this way. Scatter the grated cheese over the top, then carefully push the shelf back into the oven.
• Lower the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Bake for about 25 mins, or until golden and softly set (the centre should not feel too firm).
• Let the quiche settle for 4-5 mins, then remove from the tin. Serve freshly baked, although it's also good cold.

AUTHENTIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Place flour, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes a coarse meal. Slowly add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together like a ball.
• Place on a lightly floured surface and flatten out to form a 12" disc. Fit into a quiche pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• Put a piece of parchment paper on the top of the dough, and top with pie weights.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and remove pie weights and parchment paper. Brush bottom and sides with one beaten egg while still hot.
• While the dough is baking, cook bacon slices in a pan until almost crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. When cooled, chop into ½ inch pieces.
• In the bowl of a mixer beat 4 remaining eggs and add heavy cream, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Beat until it begins to thicken, and it is a light yellow color.
• Sprinkle bacon and Gruyere onto the top of the dough. Pour egg mixture on top.
• Bake for about 20 minutes. the quiche should puff up. The quiche should also have a light golden color on the top.

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.

AUTHENTIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Sift flour with 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in 1 stick chilled butter. Mix by hand (use your fingers) until it forms into little chunks about the size of large grains of rice.
• Fork 1 egg yolk with 2 tbsp cold water. Combine with dry ingredients and work by hand until it forms a large ball of dough. Add up to 1 more tbsp of cold water if needed.
• Wrap in plastic-wrap and let sit in a cool place 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400. Roll dough until big enough to place in a 10" tart pan.
• Grease tart pan before placing dough in it. Gently move dough to tart pan. Do not stretch it. Trim as needed and use trimmings to patch any tears that may have developed.
• Prick pastry with a fork. Line with foil, shiny-side down, and fill with a little dry rice or beans to ensure that the foil stays in place. Bake 10 minutes.
• Remove rice or beans. Remove foil. Bake 5 minutes more. Allow to cool.
• Reduce oven heat to 300.
• Fry bacon in 1 tbsp butter.
• In a large bowl mix 4 eggs with the cream. Mix thoroughly but do not beat or whip. Stir in bacon, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Ensure that oven temperature has dropped to 300. Bake 25-30 minutes. Best when served immediately, as it cools quickly.

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.