Quiche Lorraine

I needed something delicious and savory for last weekend's cabernet tasting that I was hosting for our wine club. Ideally something that wouldn't need much last-minute prep, as I already had my hands full.

My miracle fix was this timeless Quiche Lorraine. The recipe comes from a cookbook I've had since my college days, The Cheese Guide & Cookbook. (The publisher, Nitty Gritty Productions, suggests its 1970s vintage.) It's truly a a classic quiche and isn't shy about using light cream, butter, cheese, or bacon—all the great things in life. Just remember, you need a guilty pleasure every now and then, especially when there's fine cabernet in the room.

I borrowed a cheese crust recipe from another page to make it even better—and easier, since there's no rolling, just pinching and pressing.

Here are several things you can do in advance:

- Make and partially pre-bake the crust
- Chop onions; store in an airtime container
- Cook bacon and drain on paper towels
- Grate the cheese and store, covered

I took care of these the night before. So all I needed to do on party day was assemble the ingredients and throw it in the oven for 30 minutes. The joy of that last-minute baking is that it leaves a heavenly smell in the apartment to greet guests. And the quiche is still slightly warm—my favorite way to serve it. (This quiche also tasty at room temperature.)

So if you're entertaining over the holidays, give it a try. But don't expect any leftovers! It's that good.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Quiche ingredients
1 deep 10-inch pie plate
1/4 cup finely chopped white or green onions
1- 1/2 T butter
1 cup crumbled, crisp-cooked bacon (or finely diced cooked ham)
5 eggs
1 egg yolk (optional)
2-1/2 cups light cream
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
2 dashes cayenne pepper (optional)
dash of white or black pepper
1 cup grated good-quality Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Cheese crust ingredients
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t dry mustard
1/4 cup melted butter

Note: My pie pan is larger, probably around 12", but the ingredients worked fine without being proportionally increased. In fact, I generally decrease the eggs to 4 and skip the extra yolk, so it doesn't slosh over the edges.

TO MAKE CRUST:

Mix with pasty blender or fork until smooth. Knead about 1-2 minutes. Press firmly onto bottom and sides of 10" pie plate and flute edge of crust. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375ºF. This is a partial backing and may be omitted.

TO MAKE QUICHE FILLING:

Cook onions in butter until transparent. Mix with bacon or ham and set aside. Beat eggs and yolk lightly; blend in cream, nutmeg, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Put meat and onions into pie crust. Top with grated cheese and pour egg mixture over all. Bake 30-35 minutes at 375º or until the filling is golden and puffy, or until a knife inserted into the custard's center comes out clean.

Recipe from The Cheese Guide & Cookbook, by Ann Chandonnet (1973, Nitty Gritty Productions)