8.1.12

Bacon and leek quiche

I was looking through the freezer this week - partly because it is in desperate need of being cleaned out and defrosted, but partly looking for ingredients that might inspire a new blog post.  At the back was an ice-encrusted quiche from Sainsburys, stored in there for a night where I didn't really feel like cooking.  Quiche is one of those things - like pastry and yoghurt - that I used to think life was too short to make from scratch.  Well, I've started making my own pastry and aim to try yoghurt at some point this year, so why not quiche?

This recipe was given to me by my grandmother (on my father's side) - an excellent cook all her life, notwithstanding her habit of buying beautiful cuts of meat and then broiling the flavour and texture right out of them!  It comes from the bottom of a pie plate she had bought years ago, but she swore it worked well.  And she was right - I can tell that I'll be making quiche rather than buying it in the store from now on.  Wish I could call her tonight and thank her for it.

(Grandma's) Quiche Lorraine

For the pastry:
6oz (175g) plain flour
4oz (110g) butter, cubed
pinch of salt
a little cold water to mix (4-5 tbsp should do it)

For the filling:
2 eggs and 1 yolk
3oz (75g) bacon, diced
5oz (150g) cream
2oz (50g) grated cheese (the recipe called for gruyere but I used cheddar)
1 small onion (or 2-3 spring onions), chopped (I had leeks that needed using up so I substituted these for the onion - it seems like the kind of recipe that you can add or subtract all manner of ingredients to depending on preference)
1/2oz (10g) butter
seasoning, to taste

Store-bought pastry works just fine, but if you feel like making your own (and it really isn't as daunting as it seems!), sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Make a well in the centre, and add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, stirring until the mixture forms a dough.  Knead it lightly until it is smooth and then wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 20 minutes.  Roll the pastry out into a crust and place in a (9-10") pie dish.

Make the filling by beating the eggs and the extra yolk in a basin, and then adding the grated cheese, cream and pepper and salt.  Melt the butter in a pan and add the bacon and onions.  Cook slowly until onions are translucent and then turn into the egg mixture.  Mix and pour into the pastry case.  Bake at 375-400F (190-200C) until firm and golden.  This should take about 40 minutes.

The quiche can be eaten hot or cold (looking forward to using up the leftovers in my packed lunches this week!) and goes nicely with a green salad.
 

3 comments:

  1. Well, I've always had a horror of making pastry but after reading this I might just give it a whirl, literally. And too bad we didn't save that dish from which the recipe came. Yes, it was printed on the bottom of the fluted flan dish. Clearly it's the one that works best and it always worked when Grandma made it. She'd be so proud of you - and would have enjoyed the quiche too!

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  2. I too am a complete pastry-phobe, but this actually looks feasible. Perhaps one day when I am feeling brave...

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  3. I used to fear pastry as well. But it's actually much easier than I thought, and I like things that I can mix with my hands! Store-bought is a good time saver, but if you ever want to add anything interesting to your pastry crust - like parmesan - it's worth trying from scratch.

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