Food Mood: Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine, literally meaning Lorraine Cake, is a popular, rustic pastry dish filled with meat, vegetables, eggs, and lots of cheese. It is an open pie baked in a springform pan. With a buttery crust and a tender filling, it makes a popular option for basically all meals of the day.

  

   

Ingredients for the pastry: 

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons of cold water
• 1/2 spoon of butter to spread on the pan

Ok, now you mix the flour with the salt, then add the butter and mix, until small pearls of mixture are formed. Then add the water and keep mixing, until the dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. Gather the pastry into a ball, then wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it until it is firm, cold, but still pliable. Roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch springform pan. Fold pastry into fourths and place it in the quiche dish. Unfold and ease into the dish, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate. Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and side of pastry. Let foil extend over edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with back of spoon.

   

Ingredients for the filling:

• 6 slices of bacon (replace with mushrooms, peas,or broccoli, if vegetarian)
• 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste 

Fry the bacon until crisp, then put the slices on the pastry, together with the onion. Then beat the eggs with the sour cream and beat in the cheese, the salt and the pepper.  Pour into the dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Eat at room temperature, cold (a quiche will keep for several days in the fridge), or reheated gently in a 200-degree oven. Serves 6.

  

Photo credits: 1 - Andreas Solberg, 2 - Roger Ferrer Ibanez, 3 - pjoh (via Flickr).