Quiche Lorraine recipe

The same dish Alastor sarcastically asked Listener if he should have offered the punks. Nutty sweet Gruyère/Swiss cheese, smoky, crispy bacon bits, and savory shallots make this a winning meal that is certain to impress!


 9" frozen pie crust, semi- thawed OR fresh, uncooked crust

6 slices of bacon, chopped into small pieces

½ cup shallots, chopped

4 large eggs

1¼ cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Pinch ground nutmeg

Pinch of black pepper

4 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1¼ cups)

Green/spring onions, chopped, for garnish


Pre-baking the pie crust

1. Place the semi-thawed pie crust on a baking sheet and prick it all over it surface with a fork (this will prevent large air bubbles from forming while it cooks). Bake the semi-thawed pie crust at 400°F  on the middle oven rack for 10 minutes. If it starts puffing up as it cooks, pierce it again with a fork until it deflates.

TIP: if the crust cracks, mix 1 tsp of water and 1 tsp of flour to make a paste; fill this in the cracks and continue baking.

2. Reduce the temperature to 325°F and cook the crust until light golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven when cooked and set aside to cool on the baking sheet.


Filling

1. In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat if it cooks too quickly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 Tbsp of fat from the pan.

2. Add the shallots to the hot pan and fat; cook until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, and place the shallots on a plate; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and black pepper; whisk until everything is evenly combined.

4. Spread the cooked shallots over the bottom of the cooked pie crust. Top with half of the cooked bacon, all of the Gruyère cheese, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.

5. Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and slightly puffy in the middle. Serve hot or warm with sliced green/spring onions garnished on top.