Quiche Lorraine: A Classic French Favourite

Few dishes are as beloved—or as debated—as the Quiche Lorraine. Hailing from the Lorraine region of France (its name comes from the German word Kuchen, meaning cake), this open tart has been around since the 16th century. Back then, it was made with bread dough, but thankfully for us, today’s version features buttery shortcrust or puff pastry filled with a rich custard of eggs, cream and crispy bacon.

Purists will tell you one thing loud and clear: a true Quiche Lorraine never includes cheese. None. Zero. And while you’ll find plenty of modern takes with salmon, spinach, or Gruyère, in cafés, those aren’t the real deal according to the purists. The original remains delightfully simple—and fiercely protected. (Yes, there’s even a French brotherhood called the Confrérie de la Quiche Lorraine keeping watch over the authenticity of this dish.)

We are being rebels so our version of the Quiche Lorraine includes cheese. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

INGREDIENTS:

Shortcrust Pastry

2 ¼ Cups plain flour

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Sugar

1 cup Unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/2 Cup ice water

Filling

10g Flour, for dusting

1 Egg white

60g Whole streaky bacon, diced and fried till crispy

40g Emmenthaler cheese, grated

100ml Cream

1 Egg

Salt & Pepper

METHOD:

To make the Shortcrust Pastry:

1.     Combine flour, salt, and sugar in food processor. Add the butter and process for 8-10 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

2.    With machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process for more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: if it is crumbly, add an additional 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time.

3.      Divide the dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in cling wrap. Transfer to the fridge and chill for 2 hours.

Make the Quiche:

4.    

1.     

1.      Lightly dust a clean surface with flour.

2.      Place the shortcrust pastry onto the surface and leave for a few minutes to warm up.

3.      Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry to about 5mm thick.

4.      Spray a tart tin / quiche dish with baking spray to prevent the pastry from sticking to it.

5.      Gently line the tin / quiche dish with the rolled-out pastry, taking care not to stretch the dough or make sure there are no holes or cracks in the pastry.

6.      Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, to rest the dough.

7.      Cut a circle out of baking paper and place it in the middle of the pie dough. Top with tin foil and add pie weights.

8.      While the pie crust is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 200°C.

9.      Place the pie dish on an oven tray and place the tray into the oven.

10.  Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, approximately 5–10 minutes.

11.  Take the tray out of the oven and remove the tin foil and pie weights.

12.  Place the tray back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.

13.  Remove the tray and brush the shell with the egg white and bake for further 2 minutes.

14.  Remove from oven and add the bacon bits to the pastry case.

15.  Crack the egg into a measuring jug and whisk in the cream and a pinch of seasoning.

16.  Pour the custard into the shell, making sure that you fill the shell to the very top.

17.  Top with the grated cheese.

18.  Place the quiche into the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C or until the custard has set.

19.  Remove the quiches from the oven. Serve very hot with a side salad.

Bake and serve your Quiche in our Maxwell & Williams Epicurious Deep Quiche Dish