Quiche Lorraine

Not to big myself up (I am big enough already and eating quiche doesn’t help) I am known in my circle as the Quiche Queen. That circle of one, ie me. Seriously, I love a quiche, and when spring is here it makes me think of lovely lunches on my very small balcony with some friends a quiche, a couple of crisp salads and some very dry white wine. Check out my friends Maria and Nicole enjoying just such a lunch last year. The plates have been cleared away but look how happy and beautiful they are! You can be too!

So here is Elizabeth David’s recipe for quiche, from the greatest cookbook ever, French Provincial Cooking, with a few amendments by me (foolish I know but I am lazy and prefer pre-rolled pastry to make your own).

This is SO EASY to make btw.

1 Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry roll (circular not square)
6 rashers streaky smoked bacon
½ pint double cream (I prefer ¼ pint double cream and big dollop of mascapone cheese or Philadelphia, makes it fluffier)
3 egg yolks & 1 whole egg
3 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Few fresh leaves of thyme (not essential)
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 6, 180 °C. Unroll the Jus-Rol and line an 8-inch flan tin with it – I have a china dish which works perfectly, please see attached picture! Prick the pastry surface with a fork. Cut the bacon into inch-wide strips. Cook them in a frying-pan for a minute so that some of the fat runs. Arrange them in circles on the pastry. In a jug, mix together the cream with the very well-beaten yolks and the whole egg, add the thyme, pinch of salt and season well with the pepper. Pour this mixture over the bacon and transfer to the oven. Leave for 20 mins then cook for another 10 mins at Gas mark 4, 140°C. Although monitor this because sometimes that’s more than enough. DON’T open the oven door till ready – the lovely puffed-up souffle quality of the quiche will sink if you do.

Let it rest a minute or two before you serve it but not too long, otherwise it’ll sink. However, it’s absolutely delicious cold too. Keeps for 2-3 days in fridge.

(If you want a veggie quiche, add a big layer of spinach to the bottom of the pan, remembering that it shrinks to nothing, and some slices of semi-soft goats’ cheese on the top, then grate goats’ cheese into the egg and cream mixture.)

Additions: Serve the quiche with a proper green salad, well dressed so that each leaf is coated with a simple French dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic clove which is used to infuse flavour, salt & pepper). Or a spinach and avocado salad. Toast some sunflower seeds in a hot pan fast, add soy sauce at the end and shake rapidly in the pan, then scatter over the spinach and avocado.