Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Shell (Pate Brisee)
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 4 g salt
- 50 ml ice water
Filling
- 200 g smoked bacon, cut into matchsticks or lardons
- 3 eggs, large
- 2 egg yolks
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 150 ml whole milk
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 g ground nutmeg, pinch
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub the cold, cubed butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the ice water gradually, mixing gently until the dough just comes together into a ball. Do not overwork. Flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Carefully transfer and press it into the 23cm tart pan, trimming the edges. Chill again for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line the chilled pastry shell with parchment paper and fill to the brim with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake for another 5 minutes until the base is pale golden and dry.
While the pastry bakes, place the bacon matchsticks in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
In a clean mixing bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, heavy cream, whole milk, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg until completely smooth and homogenous.
Lower the oven temperature to 160C/320F. Scatter the cooked bacon evenly across the bottom of the blind-baked tart shell. Carefully pour the egg and cream custard over the bacon to fill the shell.
Bake the quiche at 160C/320F for 30 to 35 minutes. The custard should be gently set with a slight jiggle in the very center, and a thermometer inserted into the middle should read 74C/165F.
Remove the quiche from the oven and allow it to cool and set in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- An authentic Quiche Lorraine relies entirely on a rich custard of eggs and heavy cream rather than cheese. Variations adding Gruyere or onions are delicious but technically cross into Quiche Vosgienne territory.
- Resting the dough is not optional. Chilling relaxes the gluten strands developed during mixing and rolling, which prevents the pastry from shrinking violently when it hits the hot oven.
- For the silkiest custard, avoid whipping too much air into the egg and cream mixture. Whisk just until homogenized so that the baked tart has a dense, velvety mouthfeel rather than a spongy one.
- Do not overbake the quiche. Carryover cooking will continue to set the center as it cools on the counter. Pulling it while the center jiggles prevents a rubbery texture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store tightly wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze baked and completely cooled. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a 150C/300F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through and the crust recrisps.
