Lorraine, She Was Called
Crust is strangely human. Not unlike you and I, it prefers not to be overworked and requires a good amount of rest. It performs its best when given space, care, and a little encouragement. With the right conditions, the smooth, stretchy dough will deliver a beautiful golden-brown shell that will cradle ripe fruit and rich custards.
Today, the crust will be a vessel for smokey bacon, almost caramelised onions, and a savoury eggy filling tinged with nutmeg. It’s a pie by another name – a quiche and one famously called Lorraine. I’m obviously not French nor from the region of Lorraine, so I will not claim this recipe’s authenticity. Traditionalists will assert that this classic doesn’t include cheese and onions.
Some sources claim the quiche originated from Germany. So, perhaps I was actually making a bake that inspired the Quiche Lorraine. In the height of autumn in Germany, a very young wine called Federweißer comes into season. It’s best enjoyed cold with a slice of freshly baked Zwiebelkuchen or Onion Cake (everything is a cake in that country). It is loaded with speck, a caraway-laced eggy custard, and obviously onions. Sadly, it also doesn’t contain cheese.
Disregarding the truth of its moniker, you cannot deny the delicious pairing of fat-laden pork and sweet onions. All that goodness is enrobed by crisp, buttery pastry – the true star of the dish. I’ll admit that I’ve made the pâte brisée crust at least four times before getting it right. It’s frustrating knowing that I was struggling with what was considered a basic recipe. But as an amateur baker, the simplest of recipes can be difficult in my kitchen.
The trick was to refrain from overworking the dough and move it constantly when rolling out - almost like a tiny reminder for those still bound by a work-from-home arrangement. And then make sure it has sufficient rest so it will not shy away when met with heat. Funny how flour, butter, milk, and eggs can come together to impart tips on self-care.
It wasn't perfection on the fifth attempt. Yet, it was enough for an unfussy weekend picnic lunch under the shade of trees. For a sweet moment, it doesn't even matter if the edges were uneven or the top slightly burnt. For Lorraine, she'd rejoice flaws and all. B
Quiche Lorraine
Many quiche recipes call for Gruyère cheese. But I’ve decided on a lovely block of Comté AOP cheese, which interestingly is sometimes referred to as Gruyère de Comté. Coupled with smoked lardons from Lorraine, this quiche definitely deserves the name of Lorraine.
Makes a 18cm quiche
Takes about 2 hours
Notes
On the crust: This recipe uses a basic shortcrust pastry with the addition of an egg yolk, or also known as pâte à foncer. You can definitely use store-bought pastry or your go-to pie crust recipe. This recipe makes 500g of dough, which is enough for two 18cm quiches.
On butter: Unlike pie crusts where hard, cold butter is recommended, a quiche crust requires softened but cool butter. So, leave the butter out until it reaches about 14°C. Do not melt the butter as melting destroys the molecular structure, resulting in a brittle dough later.
On gluten: When flour comes into contact with liquid, the proteins will form an elastic network of gluten. Overworking the dough will stretch and strengthen the gluten network, which results in an undesired, tough pastry.
On rest: It is essential to rest the dough for at least two hours in the refrigerator before using. This relaxes the gluten in the dough, resulting in a supple and pliable pastry that will not shrink when baking.
On temperature: If the butter starts melting or gets too sticky, stick the mixture back into the fridge to cool it down.
On the mould: I’ve used an 18cm round springform cake pan as I like my quiches tall (more filling to enjoy). You can also use tart tins with perforated circles on top of a Silpat or a pie plate. But you’ll have to reduce the amount of filling accordingly. You also do not need to grease the mould for this recipe.
On storage: The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days. It can also be stored in the freezer. Before using the frozen pastry, let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator before rolling it out.
On the filling: If you would like to stick with tradition, you can definitely forgo the cheese and onions. You can use other melting cheeses such as Cheddar, Gouda, or Gruyère. Smoked lardons can be substituted with smoked bacon or pancetta.
Ingredients
For the pâte brisée (pâte à foncer)
250g plain flour (T55 / Type 550)
180g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
4g kosher salt
13g egg yolk
50ml whole milk, room temperature
For the egg wash
18g egg yolk
4.5g crème liquide
For the filling
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
220ml crème liquide
220ml whole milk
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
150g smoked lardons
100g Comté cheese, grated
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Equipment
18cm round springform cake mould
Rolling pin
Pie weights (optional)
Immersion blender (optional)
Directions
Day One
Prepare the pastry
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter by hand until creamy and fluffy.
Then, add salt and the egg yolk. Continue to whisk until homogenous.
Next, stream the milk in three portions, whisking vigorously each time until you get a thick paste.
Sift the flour on top of a clean work surface and create a well in the middle. Pour the paste into the middle.
Using a bench scraper, scoop the flour into the batter outside-in. With the straight edge of the scraper, gradually incorporate the flour with a chopping motion. Repeat both steps until most of the flour has been incorporated. You can watch the method here.
Once the dough comes together, use the heel of your palm to smear the dough away from you and scrape it back again. This is called a fraisage, where it presses down any chunks of butter into thin layers. Do it three to five times, and not more.
You should get a smooth, pliable dough, but do not work the dough too much or you’d motivate the development of gluten. Form a ball again and then flatten it into a disc.
Wrap the dough tightly with clingfilm and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to 3mm to 4mm thick.
Using your rolling pin, lay the dough over the mould and use your fingers to gently, yet firmly pressing the dough against the sides. Do not stretch the dough or it will shrink when baking. If there are any dough lying over the mould, use a paring knife to slice the excess off.
Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
Day Two
Prepare the filling
Place the smoked lardons and olive oil in a cool frying pan and cook over medium heat. Let it cook until slightly crispy. Strain the bacon into a bowl, leaving about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan. Lower the heat down to medium-low and cook the onions until translucent. Leave the ingredients aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, milk, cream, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper together until homogenous. You can use an immersion blender here if you want.
Bake the crust
Preheat the oven at 160°C.
Cover the quiche shell with baking paper that is larger than the mould, so that it rises beyond the edges. Then fill with baking weights, rice, or beans (or even sugar) all the way up to edge. This stops the crust from puffing out.
Bake for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the egg yolk with cream.
Remove the beads and paper. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of the egg wash on the insides of the shell. This protects the crust from humidity or the undesired soggy bottom. Return it back to the oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the baked shell cool slightly on a wire rack. Turn the over up to 180°C.
Assemble and bake the quiche
To assemble the quiche, lay ¾ of the grated Comte cheese at the bottom, followed by the bacon and onions, and then the remaining cheese. Last but not least, pour the custard into the shell, leaving about 3mm away from the edge.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The quiche is done when the centre of the filling quivers just slightly.
Let the quiche cool in its mould on a wire rack, for about 10 minutes. Release the springform and continue to let it rest for another hour. This allows the custard to firm up.
Serve with a refreshing green salad, and if you have it, a glass of white wine or Federweißer.