One of my favourite French dishes is the famous Quiche Lorraine. After I had first tried it in a restaurant, I immediately started to look after a good recipe. I experimented with a lot of ingredients and different preparation methods until I made my own customised recipe, with a small twist on this classic favourite.
Tools you will need:
- Food processor
- Kitchen scale
- 26 cm diameter quiche form (preferably with a removable base)
Ingredients:
For the pastry
- 175g plain flour
- 100g cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 egg yolk
For the filling
- 200g pack ham cubes
- 50g Gruyère
- 50g Swiss cheese
- 200ml carton crème fraîche
- 200ml double cream
- 3 eggs, well beaten
- 1 pack of green onions
- 1 red paprika
- pinch ground nutmeg
Directions
I prefer to buy the pastry ready-made. It makes the whole process quick and easy. You can find a very good quality quiche dough in almost all convenience stores.
But if you decide to do it yourself, here is a well-proven recipe.
For the pastry, put the flour, butter, egg yolk and 4 tsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button, process until the mix binds. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a smooth ball, then roll out as thinly as you can. Line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin, easing the pastry into the base. Trim the pastry edges with scissors — put the leftovers aside — so it sits slightly above the tin. If the pastry shrinks, it shouldn’t go below the level of the tin. Press the pastry into the flutes, lightly prick the base with a fork, then chill for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Prepare the filling: heat a small frying pan, tip in the ham cubes and green onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Cut three quarters of the cheese into small dice and finely grate the rest. Scatter the diced cheese and fried ham over the bottom of the pastry case.
Using a spoon, beat the crème fraîche to slacken it, then slowly beat in the double cream. Mix in the beaten eggs and the paprika cubes. For seasoning (you shouldn’t need much salt) add nutmeg. Pour the filling onto the pastry case.
Scatter the grated cheese over the top, then carefully push the baking form into the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes covered with an aluminum foil, and then another 15 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are golden. Try the filling with a needle or with something sharp, if it's not sticky, then it's ready. Let the quiche settle for 10 minutes before serving, then remove from the tin. Serve freshly baked, although it’s also good cold.
Bon appétit, mon cheri!
