The Best Classic Quiche Food

HAM AND SWISS QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare homemade pie crust or use purchased refrigerated or frozen pie crust, and set aside. (No need to cook the crust before filling with quiche mixture.)
• In a medium bowl, place half-and-half, eggs, honey mustard, flour, salt, thyme, and pepper and beat until combined.
• Layer the cooked and cubed ham, Swiss cheese, and spinach in the prepared pie crust. Pour the egg mixture slowly into the pie crust and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake the quiche for 40 to 50 minutes until crust is golden and filling is set. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.

CLASSIC QUICHE

Steps:

• Crust: Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg and yolk with ice water. Add to flour mixture and pulse until moist crumbs start to form (no longer). Transfer mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and, using wrap and your hands, form into a disk (or 2 disks, if making 2 quiches in pie plates). Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Let sit at room temperature until pliable, then roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch springform pan, folding and pressing sides to an even thickness. (Or roll out 2 disks to 11-inch rounds and fit into 8- or 9-inch pie plates.)
• Trim edge of dough flush with top of springform pan. (If using pie plates, fold edges of dough under; crimp as desired.) Wrap in plastic; freeze at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line crust with parchment; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake, with a baking sheet on rack below, 20 minutes; remove paper and beans. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes (8 to 10 minutes, for pie plates). Let cool.
• Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs until smooth, then whisk in remaining ingredients until well combined.
• Pour custard mixture into cooled crust, stopping just short of top (if making in 2 pie plates, divide evenly between crusts). You may not need to use all of custard; be careful not to overfill.
• Add any toppings. Bake 10 minutes; reduce oven to 325 degrees. Bake until filling is just set. Let cool about 1 hour before serving.

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.

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.

CHEF JOHN'S QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Roll pie dough to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate and chill for at least 20 minutes before baking. Line the chilled pie crust with foil and fill halfway up with dried beans, rice, or baking weights. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan to drain. Blot out some of the oil from the skillet, leaving 1 to 2 teaspoons. Add leeks, onion, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until tender and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
• Whisk eggs, egg yolks, cream, and milk together in a large bowl. Add thyme and stir to combine.
• Sprinkle 2/3 of onion-leek mixture on the bottom of the baked crust. Top with 1/3 cooked bacon and 2/3 Gruyere cheese. Ladle in egg mixture carefully. Sprinkle with remaining onion-leek mixture, remaining bacon, and remaining Gruyere cheese.
• Bake filled quiche in the preheated oven until browned and set, and no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

CLASSIC QUICHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Unfold pie crust and place into 9 inch pie pan.
• Press firmly into pie pan and bake for 8 minutes.
• set aside.
• Prepare filling--------------.
• In a large skillet, cook bacon 5-6 minutes until crisp and drain on paper towel.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs, add half and half and nutmeg and blend well.
• Crumble bacon over baked pie crust and sprinkle cheese over crumbled bacon.
• Carefully pour egg mixture into pie pan.
• Bake quiche at 425 for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes longer until golden brown or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.