Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 (9-inch) pie shell, blind-baked
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 ounces bacon (about 4 strips), fried crisp and chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
• 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Custard (about 1½ cups)

• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• ¾ cup whole milk
• Scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Make the custard. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper until completely smooth, with no streaks of egg white or lumps of sour cream.
3. Sweat the onion and bacon. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cooked bacon and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is limp. Drain in a strainer.
4. Layer the cheese. Spread half the Swiss (about 1 cup) evenly over the bottom of the blind-baked shell.
5. Add the bacon. Sprinkle the bacon-onion mixture and green onions evenly over the cheese, then cover with the remaining Swiss.
6. Pour the custard. Whisk the custard again (the sour cream settles), then pour it in slowly, filling to just below the rim.
7. Bake covered. Set the quiche on a baking sheet in case of leaks, cover loosely with foil and bake 55 minutes.
8. Uncover and finish. Remove the foil and bake 10 to 12 minutes more, until the top is golden and the custard is set (a toothpick comes out clean and the center jiggles only slightly).
9. Rest 10 minutes before slicing. The custard firms up as it cools.

Chef’s Tips

• Blind-bake the shell. A raw shell goes soggy. Line it with parchment, fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes; remove the weights and bake 5 minutes more until lightly golden.
• Sandwich the bacon between the cheese so it shows as flecks under the golden top.
• Don’t skip the foil for the first 55 minutes. It keeps the cheese from over-browning before the custard sets.
• Sour cream is the secret. It gives the custard more body and tang and is much less likely to curdle than straight cream.
• Variations: add ½ cup sautéed mushrooms, swap the bacon for pancetta or country ham, or use Gruyère for a sharper, nuttier quiche.
• Serve with a green salad with vinaigrette, fresh fruit, and coffee or a mimosa.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Keeps 4 days in the fridge. Reheat covered with foil at 325°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
• Freezes 1 month, wrapped tightly. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• The custard keeps 1½ days in a covered jar; whisk again before using.

From Ernie’s Kitchen