Quiche Lorraine
It always amazes me how many people are scared of this little French word - quiche. I know, I know……you, my reader, are much more cultivated and cultured than many people that I meet while traveling and a quiche is nothing exotic to you, but you would be surprised at how many people are perplexed by what might be hiding in this glorified omelette.
In France quiche is the go-to supper choice when you have odds and ends in the refrigerator that need to be used up. Left over lunchmeat, little nubs of dried-out cheese, veggies that are going to spoil if not used quickly, can be thrown into a store-bought crust that everyone keeps on hand at all times. Also, let’s say that you belong to an athletic club, boy/girl scouts club, church group, or something of the nature, and everyone is expected to bring something to eat to a gathering; I kid you not, 90% of those attending will bring a quiche!
When American tourists visit France for the first time, they are often confused when they see omelettes and quiche on lunch and dinner menus. However, unlike in the US, eggs are not as often eaten for breakfast; breakfast is typically a small, quick affair, usually sweet instead of savory, where as eggs are more often eaten at lunch and supper.
The French are famous for their fabulously long lunch breaks where they spend 1.5 to 2 hours having exquisite meals with their colleagues; however, they are also incredibly disciplined with their eating habits, not allowing themselves to eat heavy meals like that every day. On days when you want to eat a lighter fare, a slice of quiche accompanied by a green salad is ideal.
Every boulangerie (bakery) in France makes several types of quiche daily, so it’s very easy to run into a bakery and grab a generous slice of your favorite one.
The quiche that I am going to share with you today is the most classic of all quiche, the Quiche Lorraine. It’s filled with bacon and cheese, how could it not be everyone’s favorite?!
Why is it called “Lorraine”? Quiche originated in the Lorraine region, located in the northeast of France, bordered by Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, where throughout history the inhabitants found themselves ruled by either France or Germany. The word “quiche” comes from the word “kuch” in german, which means “cake”. As history tells it, quiche’s crust was originally made with leftover bread dough, filled with a mixture of eggs, cream and milk…… and didn’t contain cheese. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war, many of the inhabitants of this region fled to other parts of France, spreading this culinary tradition all over the country.
Quiche Lorraine is made with lardons (imagine a hunk of bacon that was grated with a cheese grater), but you can just buy some thick-sliced smoked bacon and slice it into little strips. As for cheese, gruyère and/or comté would be my recommendation! Included is the recipe for the delicious butter crust, pâte brisée, that can be used for sweet or savory tarts.
Pâte Sablée – French Butter Crust
230g all purpose flour
5g salt
113g unsalted butter
1 egg
50g water
Rub the flour and butter between your hands until the mixture looks like grated parmesan and then make a well in the center. Put the egg, water and salt in the well, incorporate into the flour and butter mixture then knead and until the dough pulls away from your work surface. The dough is easier to work with if chilled before using but, if needed, can be immediately rolled out. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and place in a large tart mold or in a buttered pastry ring.
Quiche Lorraine
400g of thick sliced bacon
300g of hard rind cheese, such as Comté or Gruyère, grated
200g whole milk
200g heavy cream
200g eggs (approximately 4 eggs)
Salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg to taste
Cut bacon into thin strips and cook over medium heat until fat is rendered but the bacon is not crispy. Place the bacon and cheese in the tart mold or pastry ring lined with pâte brisée. In a medium sized bowl, whisk eggs, then add milk and cream. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg and pour over the bacon and cheese. Cook the quiche at 375F until browned and set.
