This recipe for Quiche Lorraine is from our frequent collaborator and food photographer Mary Devinat. Read more about Mary’s Quiche Lorraine and her memories of growing up in France below.
Quiche Lorraine is a very famous dish in France. My mother made some at least one time a week when I was a kid and I always loved it! In France, we love quiche because it’s quick to make and most of the time we use leftovers to make it. If you check a French fridge, you will find some lardons (kind of bacon but in big pieces, a little bit like ham), shredded gruyère, eggs and of course, some crème fraiche. It’s the base!
About the dough, it’s very common to buy a ready to use dough at the supermarket. It could be a pâte brisée made with flour, water, and butter or an unsweetened puff pastry. Because we can’t find any pâte brisé in America, I decided to make my own with good quality butter. The taste is just amazing.
For the crème fraiche, because it’s difficult or very expensive to purchase in the U.S., I decided to make a mix with sour cream and a half and half cream. The result is very close to what you need for this recipe. If you are interested in making your own check out this recipe. You will have the same problem with the gruyère. It’s very common to find shredded gruyère in France (it is practically the only shredded cheese available in France) but not in the U.S. I find it in Wegmans but it’s expensive! You can choose to use it but you also can use finely shredded mozzarella or Swiss cheese.
I’m really sure you will like this traditional French dish. It’s very simple to make and always delicious. If you have a big family, you can easily double the quantity and make two quiches. You can also cut some slices and freeze them. Then, a few minutes in the oven and it’s done! We love to accompany a slice of quiche with some fresh salad.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian option for quiche, check out this Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche by Mary!
Here is a link to Mary’s Instagram page if you are interested in checking out more of her recipes!
Cooking technique: You can use a frozen pie crust if desired. If you do use a frozen crust, you can skip the steps of making the dough and add the egg mixture to the pie crust and then bake.
Quiche Lorraine (France)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 3/4 cup cubed ham
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven at 390°F.
- Start with the dough. In a big bowl, mix the all purpose flour with salt. Add the butter and start to knead (you can also use a robot or Kitchenaid mixer, it’s easier) with your hands. Then, pour the cold water and continue to knead for a few minutes. When the dough is homogeneous and a little bit elastic, it’s ready.
- Add some flour on your work surface and roll the dough using a rolling pin. Roll until the dough can be put in your pie plate and that it is not too thick. You will probably have an excess of dough, with a knife, cut the excess dough around the edges of the pie plate. Prick the dough with a fork in several places so that it breathes during cooking.
- For the egg mixture, in a big bowl, break the eggs, add the half and half, sour cream and salt and pepper. Whisk. Add the cubed ham and the shredded cheese, mix with a spatula. Pour into the dough and place in the oven for 45 minutes or until top is browned and egg is set.
- Serve with salad.
Nutrition
About the Author: Mary Devinat
ALDIs by me carries a shredded Gruyère. I need to try this. My husband loves quiche and we have not made one in a very long time. Thanks.
You are welcome! It is a really tasty recipe!