En passant par la Lorraine...

For some reason, quiche always impresses people. And really, its so simple to make. It's basically a flan with cream instead of milk. The traditional one is Quiche Lorraine, which is made with cubes of bacon (lardons). Later on, gruyère was added to the recipe, but I still make mine the old fashioned way.

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients

for the crust- 

1.5 cups flour

1 stick butter

1/2 cup water

salt

for the filling - 

6 eggs

40 cL heavy cream

2 T butter

100 g cubes bacon (lardons)

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

The first step is to make the pate brisée - a basic pie crust. In a medium bowl, measure out the flour. Add the cold butter, cut into slices. With your hands, mix the butter into the flour until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the water in stages, kneading the dough until a solid ball forms (you might need more or less water) refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, an hour if possible. 

While the dough is resting, mix the filling. In a medium bowl crack the eggs and mix, as for an omelette. Add the cream slowly while mixing. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. After an hour, take the dough out of refrigerator, and on a floured surface, roll it out about 1/2 cm thick. Carefully move it into a buttered pie tin. With a fork, make some holes in the crust to help it cook evenly. Evenly place pats of butter on the bottom of the pie crust and add cubed bacon, pressing it gently into the dough so that they do not float when adding the egg mixture. 

Pour the egg mixture over the pie crust. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a side salad.