Quiche Lorraine

By norsegal8

Quiche Lorraine, a rich, eggy, cheese custard cradling bacon, eggs, ham and chives in a golden crust, is one of those dishes that made an elegant splash in the fifties. Like pizza, its popularity in this country sprang from returning World War II veterans, who'd enjoyed it in France - particularly Paris, once that city was liberated. The notion of quiche was attractive to American wives; back then everyone could make a pie, so it was no big deal to change the filling from sweet to savory.
cold quiche makes a wonderful, elegant picnic dish served with a salad and with cookies or fresh fruit dessert. You may choose to bring a whole quiche (keep it cool) and slice just before serving, or prepare individual quiches in the cups of a muffin pan. Feel free to lighten it up by substituting milk for the cream, but why not just eat a smaller slice and enjoy it at its creamy best?

Ingredients

• one 9-inch piecrust
• 1/4 pound bacon (about 5 slices) diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 pound ham, diced (3/4 cup)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives
• 1 cup shredded Swiss, Gruyère or sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Roll out the pastry dough to a circle 2 to 3 inches larger than the pan you're using. Place the crust into a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan or 10-inch tart or quiche pan. Build up the edges of the crust by folding excess dough under and then crimping it. Prick the bottom with a fork every two inches. Brush lightly with a beaten egg white; this will help the crust remain crisp. Grease a sheet of foil and place it, greased-side down on top of the crust. Using another pie pan or pie weights, partially blind-bake the crust in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes. Set the crust aside. Turn the oven down to 350°F.

FILLING
Sauté the bacon until crisp. Pour off as much fat as possible, then add the onion and cook until soft. Add the ham and brown sightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk and cream with the salt and pepper until the mixture is just below a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add some of the hot cream to the eggs, beat well, then stir in the hot cream and egg mixture into the hot cream.

Layer the bacon mixture into the baked pie shell. Pour the egg and cream mixture into the shell, then sprinkle with the chives and cheese.

Bake the quiche for 35 to 40 minutes. Be careful not to overbake or it will be watery; the quiche is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, though the center is still wobbly. The temperature should register 160°F to 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Don't be tempted to turn up the oven is the quiche seems to be taking a long time; the time from undercooked to overcooked is short. Allow the quiche to cool for 15 minutes before serving.