Quiche Lorraine

This is quiche Lorraine done the traditional way: a buttery blind-baked shortcrust shell filled with smoky bacon and a rich custard of eggs, cream and a little milk. No vegetables, no faff, just the classic combination baked until barely set and golden. Serve it warm or at room temperature for a lunch that always delivers.

Real quiche Lorraine is a study in restraint: eggs, cream, smoky bacon and good pastry, nothing more. The trick is a properly blind-baked base and a custard cooked gently so it stays soft and just set rather than rubbery. Get those two things right and you have a lunch that tastes far grander than the short shopping list suggests.

Ingredients

• 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry — or homemade; one sheet lines a 23cm tin
• 200g smoked streaky bacon — lardons or snipped rashers
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 250ml double cream
• 100ml whole milk
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 60g Gruyère — finely grated; optional but traditional
• to taste fine salt and white pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry, leaving a little overhang, and prick the base all over with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes while the oven comes up to temperature.
2. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans or dried rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then lift out the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 to 7 minutes until the base looks dry and pale gold. Trim the overhang level with the rim.
3. While the case bakes, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the bacon for 5 to 6 minutes until the fat has rendered and the pieces are lightly golden but not crisp. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain.
4. Turn the oven down to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Whisk the eggs, yolks, cream and milk together until smooth, then season with a little salt, white pepper and the nutmeg. Go easy on the salt, as the bacon and cheese are already salty.
5. Scatter the bacon and most of the Gruyère over the base of the warm pastry case. Set the tin on a baking tray, then pour in the custard, filling it as high as you dare without spilling. Scatter over the last of the cheese.
6. Carefully slide into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The quiche is ready when the top is set and lightly golden but the very centre still has a gentle wobble; it should look just set with no liquid ripple when you nudge the tin.
7. Rest in the tin for at least 15 minutes to finish setting and firm up cleanly. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into generous wedges.

Serve it with

• Dressed green salad with a sharp mustard vinaigrette
• Crusty baguette
• Cornichons and a little Dijon
• A glass of chilled dry white wine
• New potatoes tossed in butter and chives

Why this works

The blend of whole eggs and extra yolks with cream sets into a soft, custardy filling rather than a firm omelette, while blind baking and a warm pastry case keep the base crisp under the wet filling. Baking low and slow stops the custard from splitting or turning spongy.

Common swaps

• Use pancetta or good gammon in place of streaky bacon
• Swap Gruyère for Comté or Emmental, or leave the cheese out for a purist version
• Replace 50ml of the cream with crème fraîche for a slight tang
• Add a handful of softened sliced onion with the bacon for a quiche Alsacienne style

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the blind bake, which leaves the base pale and soggy
• Over-salting the custard before accounting for salty bacon and cheese
• Baking too hot, which puffs the filling and makes it split and turn rubbery
• Cutting into it straight from the oven before it has set and rested

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring back to room temperature or reheat before serving for the best texture.

Freezing: Freezes well: wrap whole or in slices and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost fully in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating: Reheat in a 160C fan oven for 10 to 15 minutes until piping hot through the centre; avoid the microwave, which softens the pastry.

Allergen notes: contains Milk, Gluten, Egg. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.