Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine

Indulge in a slice of a timeless French classic with our recipe for quiche Lorraine – one of the most popular quiches. It is perfect for a cosy dinner, lunch, on the buffet table, or for an outdoor picnic. The decadent tart is paired with a light mixed salad for an outstanding tasting experience. It is a simple yet elegant dish that will knock your socks off with its simplicity and full flavours. Grab your eggs, ham, crème fraiche, and cheese, and get ready to bake something amazing.

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Ingredients

Pastry crust

Cold butter
100 g
Wheat flour
175 g
Coarse salt
½ tsp
Water
1½ tbsp

Filling

Smoked ham
150 g
Eggs
3
Sour cream
200 ml
Wheat flour
2½ tbsp
Herbes de provence
2 tsp
Grated cheese
100 g

Instructions

Pastry crust

  • Cut butter into small pieces and crumble it into the flour. Add salt and water and quickly gather the dough.
  • Press the dough into a tart pan (approx. 22 cm in diameter – preferably metal).
  • Cover the tart and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (regular oven).
  • Prick the pastry crust with a fork and pre-bake it at the top of the oven for about 10 minutes.

Filling

  • Cut ham into small pieces and spread out in the pre-baked crust.
  • Whisk eggs, crème fraiche, flour, and spices together and pour the egg mixture over the ham. Sprinkle with cheese.
  • Bake the quiche in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes at 200°C until the cheese is golden.
  • Serve it warm with a mixed salad.
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Enjoy!

Save time and plan ahead!

You can prep the elements for your quiche Lorraine a few hours in advance and assemble it right before baking, or finish baking it completely and cool it before refrigerating it. Make sure to remove the quiche from the fridge 1 hour before serving. If you want to serve it warm, cover with foil and pop it in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.

Questions about quiche Lorraine

Try your hand at a delicious and classic quiche Lorraine that can be served both warm and cold. You will surprise yourself with how easy it is to make. The simple ingredients provide delicious flavours and textures. Read on to learn more about this delicious quiche.

What is a quiche Lorraine?

A quiche Lorraine is a classic French tart said to originate from the eastern French region of Lorraine. The flaky pastry crust holds a savoury custard filling made with eggs, ham, crème fraiche, and spices. For a final touch, the savoury tart is sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven until the cheese has a beautiful golden colour.

How do you make quiche Lorraine?

To make a classic quiche Lorraine, prepare the crust and pre-bake it in the oven for a few minutes. Next, move on to the filling and spread small pieces of ham in the pre-baked crust. Whisk eggs, crème fraiche, flour, and spices and pour the mixture on top of the ham. Finally, sprinkle with cheese and bake it in the oven for around 40 minutes at 200°C until the cheese has melted and taken on a golden colour.

How to make pastry for quiche Lorraine?

With just a few ingredients, it is fairly easy to make the pastry for quiche Lorraine. Crumble small pieces of butter into the flour, add salt and water, and knead until it has a soft and smooth texture. Press the pastry into a tart pan and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust to prevent it from puffing up during baking and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for approx. 10 minutes.

What to serve with quiche Lorraine?

Quiche Lorraine is excellent on its own, but it does taste so much better when paired with delicious side dishes. The hearty quiche pairs wonderfully with something fresh and light, like a simple mixed salad with tomatoes and red onions drizzled with an oil-vinegar dressing. The subtle flavours of the salad taste amazing without overpowering the full and creamy flavours of the tart.

Can you freeze homemade quiche Lorraine?

You can freeze quiche Lorraine to keep it fresh and be able to enjoy a slice whenever you feel like it. Allow it to cool completely before prepping it for the freezer. This step is crucial; if you attempt to freeze it while it is still warm, the pastry will soften and ruin the texture of the entire quiche. Once it has cooled off, place it in an airtight container – either whole or in portions – and transfer it to the freezer where it will keep for up to 3 months.

What is the difference between quiche and quiche Lorraine?

The quiche Lorraine is a variation of a quiche made with a very specific filling. While a quiche can contain vegetables, meat, and seafood, this classic version must be made with eggs and bits of ham to be considered a quiche Lorraine. Stray from this filling, and the tart will no longer be a quiche Lorraine but simply a quiche. For it to be called a quiche altogether, it must have a custard filling of egg and milk, which, of course, is the case for quiche Lorraine.

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Quiche Lorraine – a French classic

Discover a French classic with a flaky pastry crust filled with delicious savoury egg custard, smoked ham, and cheese. We give you the best quiche Lorraine recipe so you can succeed with this tasty tart and serve an irresistible dish for friends or family. It is such a satisfying dish with rich and smoky flavours that will make your mouth water. Crème fraiche gives an extra creamy custard and a little bit of tang. If you are looking for a simple and elegant meal, you cannot go wrong with this quiche Lorraine. It is a timeless classic that your guests will love.

To stay in French cuisine and try something more, check out our recipe for coq au vin with braised chicken and salad Niçoise with tuna, eggs, and black olives. For something sweeter, try a classic crème brûlée. All are examples of delectable classic dishes from French cuisine that is too good to resist.

Crusted Quiche Lorraine with ham and cheese

Quiche Lorraine is the gold standard for quiches. The flaky buttery crust is made with just a few ingredients to create a crust with a delicious texture, making it the perfect vessel for a savoury filling. Never underestimate the power of ham and cheese; with ham in the creamy filling and cheese on top, you are in for a delightful experience. The melted cheese makes for a lovely gooey finish that will melt on your tongue and balances the saltiness and smokiness of the ham, so every bite tastes divine.

Fluffy egg mixture with crème fraiche

Want to know the secret behind the delicious quiche Lorraine? It is all about simplicity. The custard filling is where all the ingredients truly come together. Crème fraiche, eggs, flour, and spices are all combined to create a fluffy custard, oozing with decadent consistency and flavour, and is poured over the smoked ham. The sour cream yields a creamy, delicate, rich texture that ties all the flavours together. It is the ultimate comfort food reserved for a special occasion.

Serve the French quiche for lunch or dinner

The classic French quiche is the ideal menu item for lunch, brunch, and dinner, especially paired with a green mixed salad or similar complementary side dishes. The green salad creates a nice and light balance to the rich flavours of the tart. With this easy recipe for quiche Lorraine, you conjure up a perfect tart that will impress your guests every single time. Serve the tart the next time you want to spoil your guests with treasures from French cuisine.

Make it your own

Depending on the ingredients you have at hand, this quiche is endlessly customisable, so you will never get bored of it. Change up the filling and explore new flavour combinations with different vegetables. Make a quiche Lorraine with leeks and bacon to add some saltiness and pungency to the ham and cheese filling. Chop leeks into small pieces and mix them with the bacon. Add the leek and bacon mixture to the pre-baked pastry crust, pour the egg mixture on top, and sprinkle with cheese. The leeks lend a mellow and slightly sweet onion flavour to the French quiche.

https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/quiche-lorraine/