Located in northeast France, on he border with Germany and Belgium, Lorraine is a region of rolling hills, forests and farmlands. It's particularly well known for its orchards and its small, golden Mirabelle plums are prized for their sweetness. Like in neighboring Alsace, potatoes feature prominently in Lorraine cuisine, used in casseroles, pies, fritters and salads. Diary products are used in a variety of ways, including in cheese making, and bacon and smoked meats provide substance.

It is quiche, however, what anyone thinks of when they think of Lorraine, so for my brief sojourn into Lorrainer cuisine, I made:

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche consists of an egg custard baked on a short crust. It's a specialty of Lorraine, from where it conquered the world. Traditional quiche Lorraine has bacon only, though modern interpretations add Gruyere cheese and onions.

The word quiche seems to derive from the Alsatian word küche, meaning cake. Originally, it seems to have referred to a pie consisting of a bread crust and a mixture of eggs, cream and herbs, similar to an Alsatian tarte flambée. Quiche, however, may actually derive from medieval custardes, custards baked in pastry dough, which were popular throughout western Europe.

I have personally mostly avoided quiche because I do not like the flavor of cooked eggs, except in desserts. I've have eaten them when they came with cheese, but I was very weary of this recipe as it's pretty basic. I shouldn't have worried: it was absolutely delicious. It was also super easy to make.

I will note that I used a store-bought pie crust. I had planned to make my own, but I truly didn't see much of a point of it and I absolutely hate making anything that requires flouring a surface and taking out a rolling pin. I'm glad I went with my instincts, but you can use your own. I'll definitely use this recipe again, and you'll see quiche on future holiday dinner tables.

PRINT PDF

Quiche Lorraine Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, cubed + more for greasing 1 short crust pie shell 8 - 10 oz thick-cut smoked bacon or pork belly, cut into lardons or diced 4 eggs 1 1/4 cup heavy cream nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a pie or tart pan with butter. Lay pie shell on the pan, crimping the sides. Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until lightly browned. Transfer bacon to the bottom of the prepared shell. Using an electric or manual mixer, beat the eggs. Beat-in the heavy cream. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the bacon. Bake for 30 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe at Le Lorraine

French cuisines I've explored so far: French, Alsatian, Auvergnat, Belgian, Bordeaux, Bourguignonne, Breton, Champagnoise, Corsican, Gascon, Ligérienne<, Limousin<, Luxembourger, Lyonnaise, Medieval French, Monégasque

Do you have a comment on this recipe? Please make it here