Delia Smith Quiche Lorraine Food

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190c, 375f, Gas mark 5.
• Line a 18cm (7inch) flan dish or sandwich tin with pastry.
• Fry bacon lightly, then cool.
• Place half the cheese in the pastry case and cover with bacon.
• Beat the eggs and milk together, season and pour over cheese and bacon. Sprinkle on remaining cheese.
• Bake for about 40 min until set and golden brown.

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.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour together with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a soft breadcrumb texture. Add enough cold water to make the crumb mixture come together to form a firm dough, and then rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry on a light floured surface and line a 22cm/8½in well-buttered flan dish. Don't cut off the edges of the pastry yet. Chill again.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment and then fill it with baking beans. Place on a baking tray and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another five minutes to cook the base
• Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• Sprinkle the cheese into the pastry base and add the sliced tomatoes if you are using them. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp and sprinkle over them over the top.
• Combine the eggs with the milk and cream in a bowl and season well. Pour over the bacon and cheese. Sprinkle the thyme over the top and trim the edges of the pastry.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool and set further.
• Trim the pastry edges to get a perfect edge and then serve in wedges.

MINI QUICHES

Steps:

• Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface until very thin. Cut out circles that are 1cm larger in diameter than the tartlet tins. Line the tins with the pastry circles (you may need to bake these in batches if you do not have enough tins) pressing into the edges and up the sides. Re-roll any pastry offcuts until you've lined all the tins, then chill for 30 mins (if you're baking in batches, chill the off-cuts too).
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line each pastry case with a piece of foil and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 mins, then lift out the foil and beans and bake for another 5 mins. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a little oil until crisp.
• Divide the bacon and half the cheese between the cases. Beat the eggs and cream together, then pour over the bacon and cheese until the cases are almost full. Scatter over the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden and puffed up. Leave to cool, then chill before serving. Can be made a day ahead.

QUICHE LORRAINE IN 4 EASY STEPS

Steps:

• Roll out pastry and lift into tin: Leave pastry to soften at room temperature so it doesn't crack when rolling. Lightly flour rolling pin and work surface. Gently press top of pastry, from the end closest to you outwards, a few times, turn 90°, then repeat until 1cm thick. Now roll out pastry in one direction only, turning every couple of rolls, to a circle the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the rolling pin to lift pastry up and over tin, floured side facing up.
• Line the tin and trim the pastry: Smooth pastry over the base of the tin to remove any pockets of air. Gently ease pastry into the inside edge of tin and against the sides. Trim overhanging pastry with kitchen scissors so pastry rises 1cm above the rim. Roll excess pastry into a small ball and use to press pastry into the fluted edges. Chill for 30 mins, covered with cling film. Any left over can be chilled and reused, or frozen for up to a month.
• Bake the pastry case blind: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut a large piece of baking parchment, then scrunch into a ball. Open it out and use to line chilled pastry case, then tip in baking beans with more against the sides, to support pastry wall when baking. Bake on a baking sheet for 15-20 mins until the sides are crisp and set. Remove from oven and carefully lift paper and beans out. Return pastry to oven and cook for another 5 mins or until the base and sides are golden and crisp.
• Fill pastry case and bake Lower oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Heat a pan, then fry the bacon until golden. Scatter over the pastry base, discarding excess fat, followed by the cheese. Mix eggs, cream and nutmeg together, then half-fill the case. Rest baking sheet on an oven shelf, then pour in the rest of the mixture. Bake for 30-35 mins or until just set. Remove and allow to cool for 10 mins.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry 6 chopped rashers of bacon for a minute or so until lightly cooked.
• Beat 5 large eggs, a 284ml carton of single cream and 150ml milk together with a fork then add 140g finely grated gruyère cheese, a generous grating of nutmeg and plenty of seasoning.
• Stir in half the bacon and carefully pour the mixture into the deep 24cm blind-baked pastry case then scatter over the remaining bacon.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is set, starting to turn golden and slightly puffed up above the pastry case.
• Allow to cool a little before removing from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a green salad.