Bacon, Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Quiche
Classic French dishes like this quiche Lorraine are making a comeback, and for good reason.
Quiche Lorraine
Ingredients
The Crust
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
The Filling
- 3 ounces natural applewood smoked bacon, diced small
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 5 ounces aged Gruyere cheese, grated coarsely
- 4 ounces crème fraiche
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
- Pinch cayenne
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
Make the Crust
Mix flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Press butter chunks between fingertips and drop into the center of the bowl. Toss to coat. With fingertips, gradually work flour and butter together until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Whisk egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of water together in small bowl to blend. Drizzle egg yolk mixture over flour mixture, tossing with fork. Stir dough until mixture begins to come together; press together with hands to form a rough dough.
Turn out onto cool counter and press together into mound. Dough will not come together completely. (Sprinkle with enough remaining water to reach this consistency if dough is very crumbly at this point.) With heel of hand, smear a small amount of dough away from you on counter. Scrape up and continue with remaining dough, mounding smeared tough together on counter. Press mound into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out crust to 12-inch circle; line a 9-inch tart pan with crust. Trim edges and line with parchment. Partially bake crust by weighing with dried beans or pie weights; bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until set. Remove parchment and weights; bake an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until crust appears dry. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees F, setting the tart shell aside for filling.
Make the Quiche Filling
Fry the bacon to crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
Place the onions in the pan with the bacon fat and lightly caramelize. Drain. Add bacon and onions to the bottom of the baked crust. Follow with half the cheese.
Combine the eggs, crème fraiche, seasonings and milk. Whisk well. Pour over the onion mixture.
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake the Quiche
Place quiche on foil-lined baking tray and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and puffed. Cool for 15 minutes prior to slicing and serving.
Serve warm.
Photograph by Madeleine Hill.
• Frittata D’Espagne
• Soft Scrambled Eggs with Bottarga
• Bacon & Onion Tart
