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Quiche Lorraine

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine

Brett Stevens

Quiche? Bah, not food for ‘real men’. Up until the 20th century, the pansy attitude towards quiche eaters stemmed from the lack of meat in the recipe. This savoury egg and cream-filled tart, as its name suggests, originated in Lorraine. In Medieval times, Lorraine, then known as Lothringen, was part of Germany. Indeed, the French term quiche derives from the German word for cake, kuchen. The Oxford Companion to Food (Oxford University Press) notes that the original recipe contained no meat, only egg and cream, but it’s the version with bacon and sometimes cheese which has come to be known as quiche Lorraine. If using different fillings, choose those which can withstand the long baking time.

This classic is perfect for summer lunch. Just add salad.

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
Green salad

Method

Main

1.For shortcrust pastry, combine flour and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl and using fingertips rub butter through flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, place flour and salt in a food processor, add butter and pulse until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and mix (or process) until just combined. Turn pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 200C. Roll out pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to 5mm thick and use to line a greased and floured 20cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Trim pastry, leaving 5mm above rim of tin, prick base with a fork and line with baking paper. Weight with pastry weights or rice and bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove paper and cook for another 10 minutes or until pastry is golden and dry.
3.Reduce oven temperature to 150C. Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook speck over medium for 5 minutes or until golden. Drain on absorbent paper and scatter over base of prepared pastry case. Combine yolks, eggs, cream and nutmeg in a bowl, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, whisk to combine, then pour egg mixture over speck and bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. Stand for 10 minutes before removing quiche from flan tin.
4.For green salad, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and seeded mustard in a bowl, season to taste, drizzle over salad leaves and toss to combine. Serve salad immediately with a slice of quiche.

WHERE TO TRY IT

Le Paris Brest

The classic Lorraine is served alongside other versions.

22 Haynes St, Kalamunda, WA, (08) 9293 2752.

Croissant d’Or

The addition of some hearty beef stock in the pastry buoys these ham-filled, cheesey quiches.

117 Macleay St, Potts Point, NSW, (02) 9358 6014.

Filou Patisserie

An age-old recipe handed down from the owner’s great grandmother from Lorraine? You can’t beat that.

Cnr Lygon & Fenwick sts, North Carlton, Vic, (03) 9347 4029.

Notes

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