Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is a fantastic way to celebrate all the flavors of spring! From the flaky crust to the savory egg custard, salty bacon, and gooey cheese, it’s a delicious special-occasion treat for Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, or any weekend brunch.

For a vegetarian deep-dish quiche, try my Spinach and Onion Quiche.

The Origins of Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine originates from northeastern France, in the region of Lorraine. This is how it gets its name. Its primary components are eggs, cream, and bacon or ham. Traditionalists will call foul on adding cheese, but I think it adds wonderful flavor and texture to this recipe. But if you want to be a “purist,” you can omit the cheese.

Ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour I use all-purpose flour and still get a very flaky crust! But you could also use pastry flour if you prefer.
• Salt I use kosher salt for the best flavor
• Butter Unsalted butter outside the U.S.A, but inside the states, I use Land O’ Lakes, salted butter for the best flavor, and reduce the salt in the crust by half.
• Egg The egg helps the crust to bind and prevents a crumbly pie dough.
• Ice Water Just place water and ice in a glass and measure the water out from there.
• Eggs This recipe takes 8 eggs, I know that sounds like a lot! But it creates a very silky custard that won’t lose its shape. I find most quiche recipes only use 3 eggs, and personally, I just don’t think that’s enough for a silky texture that also holds its shape. This recipe serves 8 people so each person is basically having only one egg.
• Heavy Cream for structure and a luxurious texture.
• Whole Milk works a bit better than skim or non-fat for the best texture.
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper freshly cracked pepper will give you the best flavor
• Bacon Here in France I use Lardons which is essentially like American bacon, but instead of sliced lengthwise its cut into matchsticks. But you can also use American bacon.
• Cheese I prefer the flavor of emmental but you could also use gruyère for a stronger flavor or cheddar if you prefer.
• Cornstarch: Just a sprinkle dusted over the bottom of the crust before baking will prevent a soggy bottom.
• Freshly Snipped Chives (optional) as a garnish once the quiche is baked.

Step#1: Make the Pie Crust:

• In a food processor, add the flour and salt. Pulse until combined.
• Then add the butter, in batches, pulsing all the while until a coarse meal forms.
• Wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. This will prevent your dough from shrinking once it hits the hot oven.
• For a crispy crust that will also alleviate the need for blind baking, use an 11″ (28 cm) metal quiche pan with ventilation holes. This makes all the difference!
• The heat can get in and around the crust, crisping it up in a way that just doesn’t happen in a ceramic pie plate.
• Once the pie dough has been fitted into the pan (watch my video demo in the recipe card to see how), pop it in the freezer to harden for at least 10 minutes.

Step#2: Cook the Bacon

• Cook the bacon in a large skillet. I prefer a non-stick pan for cooking bacon so that it fries up nice and crispy. If you have leftover bacon, you can use it up in my Mac and Cheese Bites with Bacon recipe.
• Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel and allow it to cool completely. You don’t want it hot when it hits the egg mixture, or it will start to cook the eggs before you are ready!
• This is also something you can do the day before and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Step#3: Assemble the Quiche

• To prevent a soggy bottom on the quiche, dust the bottom with cornstarch using a pastry brush. Then add 1/3 of the cheese; this not only provides flavor and texture but also helps prevent a soggy bottom.
• Top with the bacon, distributing it evenly across the bottom.
• Then pour the filling and the remaining cheese on top.

Step#4: Bake and Cool

• Place the quiche pan directly on the oven rack, not on a baking sheet. This will allow the heat to reach all the holes in the quiche pan.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set and the crust is golden brown.
• If you notice the quiche browning more on one side than the other during baking, reposition the quiche in the oven for even browning.
• Allow the quiche to cool, to allow it to set up, and make the quiche easier to remove from the hot tin.