A quiche Lorraine is a great recipe to have in your arsenal of go-to recipes and is one of the most simplest, yet delicious quiches you can ever make.
The quiche originates from a small town in France, called Lorraine, and can be served hot or cold, making it great for when you have guests over for dinner, or perfect to take with you to a picnic - just remember to pre-slice it before you leave home for easy serving.
A quiche Lorraine typically contains ham and cheese, and is baked into a shortcrust pastry case until it's just set (it's ultimately a savoury baked custard!). You can add some herbs if you like (finely chopped chive is lovely), or even add a spoonful of wholegrain mustard for a little acidity.
extra crispy bacon and fried spring onions to garnish
Directions
Step 1
To make the pastry, place the flour in a food processor with a pinch of salt and the chilled diced butter. Process until mixture resembles fine crumbs; add the egg and 15ml (1tbsp) water. Process until the mixture begins to come together; turn out on to a lightly floured worksurface and knead lightly until just smooth. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30min.
Step 2
Roll pastry out thinly; line a 3cm deep, 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base; bake blind at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 15min. Remove paper and baking beans; return to oven for 10min or until pale golden and cooked to the centre.
Step 3
Meanwhile, lightly whisk the eggs for the filling. Use a little to brush the inside of the pastry case and return it to the oven for 5min to seal any cracks.
Step 4
Finely chop the shallots. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook for 1min. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until brown.
Step 5
Mix eggs with the crème fraîche and Gruyère; season. Place bacon mixture in the pastry case; spoon crème fraîche mixture on top (see Cook's Tips). Cook at 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5 for 30-35min or until golden and just set. Cool for 10min before serving. Garnish with fried bacon and spring onions.
Step 6
Prepare ahead. Complete recipe. Cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two days. To serve. Warm at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 5min.
Step 7
To freeze. Complete the recipe, then cool, wrap and freeze. To serve. Thaw at cool room temperature overnight; warm at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 10min.
GH Tip
It’s best to buy one thick rasher of unsmoked streaky bacon from the butcher. Fill the pastry case as full as possible. You may find you have a little mixture left as flan tins vary in size.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
