Quiche Lorraine is a quintessential French dish... or is it?

Quiche is a savory open pie with a filling that consists of cream, eggs, and traditionally bacon. Today you can enjoy quiches with a variety of fillings such as leeks, spinach, arugula, mushrooms, seafood, salmon and cheeses like Parmesan, Gruyere, Emmenthal Camembert, Roquefort or even Brie.

The word "quiche" comes from the German Kuchen meaning "cake." Quiche is thought to have originated from Alsace Lorraine, now part of northeastern France and bordering Germany. Historically the region has changed hands many times between France and Germany, and it is believed that quiche was first made when the area was a German province, Lothringen, which is "Lorraine" in French. When France regained Alsace Lorraine in 1945, the French declared the name of the dish to be "Quiche Lorraine."

After World War II, quiche gained admirers in England and then became popular in the United States. It is now known and appreciated throughout the world as a light and tasty dish to serve at any time of the year

The dough used to make a quiche is pâte brisée, a rich pastry based on butter and flour. While the quiche is a kind of pie, it differs from others in that it is open and includes whipping cream, eggs, nutmeg, and bacon, which are traditional ingredients found in the cuisine of Lorraine. More recently cheese has become a very popular ingredient as well. Reflecting its rustic roots, the dish traditionally cooking in cast iron pans, but now is typically cooked in special quiche or pie pans. Quiche can be served for lunch, dinner, afternoon coffee, or as a side or main dish. The recipe below uses traditional ingredients, but cooks can be as creative as they want with the filling.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 ounces butter at room temperature or butter in pommade
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon cold water
• salt

Filling:

• 3 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
• 1 cup or 4 ounces shredded Emmental cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• salt
• pepper
• nutmeg

Preparation:

Pastry

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt and the butter. Incorporate the butter with your fingertips
2. Add the eggs and the water.
3. Knead gently until a dough forms.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Heat oven in 350F.
6. Roll dough onto a floured surface with the help of a rolling pin.
7. Roll pastry into a round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch quiche pan.
8. Fold pastry into fourths; place in quiche pan.
9. Unfold and ease into dish, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
10. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate.
11. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate.
12. Make small holes in the dough with knife.
13. Bake quiche for 15 minutes.

Filling:

1. Sprinkle bacon and cheese in pie crust.
2. In a small bowl, combine all other ingredients.
3. Pour mixture into quiche dish.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
6. You can serve the quiche with a salad or with french fries.

Tips:
It is possible to freeze quiche for up to a month.
If you don't have a quiche pan, you can use a standard pie plate.

Bon Bon Appétit or, perhaps, Guten Appetit!

Recipe by Flavia Ferraretto

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