Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine

30 min bake, 170°C, 23cm tart tin, serves 6

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
plain flour      225g
unsalted butter  115g
salt             3g
water            45g

Filling
smoked lardons   200g
double cream     300g
eggs             3
egg yolks        2
salt             pinch
black pepper     pinch
nutmeg           pinch

Double cream only, never milk or single cream. The extra yolks give richness without making it rubbery.
No cheese in a true Lorraine. Gruyère makes it an alsacienne, which is also excellent.
Veggie version: replace the lardons with deeply caramelised onions, mushrooms cooked until all moisture is gone, or wilted spinach squeezed completely dry. Always add 75g grated Gruyère for the savoury backbone the bacon provides. Remove all moisture from vegetables before adding or the custard will weep.

Recipe

1. Rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the water a splash at a time until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Paddle attachment on low, or by hand. Cold butter is essential.

2. Roll out to 3mm thick and line the tart tin, leaving a 1cm overhang. Prick the base all over. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Heat the oven to 200°C. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5 minutes until the base looks dry. Brush the base with a little beaten egg white and bake for 3 more minutes to seal it.

4. Reduce the oven to 170°C. Fry the lardons in a dry pan until golden but not crispy. Leave to cool.

5. Whisk together the eggs, yolks, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

6. Scatter the lardons across the pastry base. Pour the custard over to just below the rim.

7. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the edges are set but the centre still has a slight wobble. It will firm up as it cools.

8. Leave for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or at room temperature.