Quiche Lorraine is a classic French comfort food. With bacon, Leeks, and a savory egg and cheese custard filling. This will satisfy everyone at your table. Appropriate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Quiche Lorraine History
Quiche Lorraine originated in Lorraine, now northeastern France, as a rustic dish of bread dough topped with eggs and cream; references to “quiche” appear in Nancy’s records in 1605. Its name probably derives from a regional form of the German Kuchen, meaning “cake,” while “Lorraine” identifies its birthplace. Early versions were thin and sometimes flavoured with herbs; during the nineteenth century, richer fillings and shortcrust or puff pastry helped transform it into the substantial savoury tart familiar today. Migrants fleeing the Franco-Prussian War brought the regional speciality to Paris. Today, traditionalists insist that authentic quiche Lorraine contains eggs, cream and small pieces of bacon, in French lardons. Its egg-and-cream mixture is locally called migaine came later. Outside of cooking, quiche also appears in informal French phrase: être une quiche means “to be hopeless at something,”
Leeks or Onions? You can use either one. Remember, leeks have less water than onions, therefore, they will burn quicker. Use a slightly lower temperature, and keep an eye on them. You only need to soften them, not brown them.
Pie Crust: make your own or buy premade? Either one is just fine. I tend to use a premade 9-inch deep-dish pie crust. I thaw it for 10-15 minutes before pre-baking it. You can cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminium foil to prevent the edges from getting dark brown during baking.
Custard; I like to use heavy cream for the custard. This keeps the custard creamy and rich in flavor. To keep the custard from getting too soft use extra large or jumbo eggs.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pre-bake pie crust in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Use a cheese grater and grate the cheder cheese. Set aside.
- Cut bacon and leeks and set aside.
- Heat up frypan and fry bacon until crispy. Remove cooked bacon from frypan and drain on paper towel.
- Heat up frypan on medium heat and melt butter. Add leeks and cook until softened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl add heavy cream, nutmeg and eggs. Mix well. Continue mixing for about 30 seconds.
- In the bottom of the pie shell add leeks.
- Add cooked bacon pieces.
- Add grated cheese.
- Once the leeks, bacon, and cheese is in the pie shell, place the filled pie shell on a shallow lipped baking pan and place on a rack of an oven preheated to 375 degrees F. pour the egg cream mixture into pie shell. Slide the rack into oven.
- Bake at 375 degrees F. for 32 – 40 minutes. Check after 32 minutes. Add time if nessesary.
