Quiche Lorraine

1. 1A shortcrust (pâte brisée) pastry shell
2. 2Filled with a baked custard of eggs and cream (migaine)
3. 3Studded with smoked pork lardons — the defining inclusion
4. 4Baked until the custard is just set and the top lightly golden
5. 5Classically, the original carries no cheese

Blind-baking the shell

Pre-baking the crust prevents a soggy bottom under the wet custard

Custard (migaine) baking

Gentle baking sets the egg-cream just to a quiver, giving the silky set that defines a quiche

Served

Sliced into wedges from the round tart

Temperature

warm or room temperature

Portion

starter slice or light main

Pairs with

green salad · dry white wine · vinaigrette-dressed greens

• Cream → Crème fraîche or half-and-halfadmissible

  Richness varies but custard still sets

• Smoked lardons → Omitting the baconinadmissible

  Without lardons it is a plain custard tart, not a quiche Lorraine

• Shortcrust shell → No crust (crustless)inadmissible

  A crustless egg bake is not a quiche — the pastry shell is definitional

• Adding cheese and calling it the traditional Lorraine
• Not blind-baking, yielding a soggy crust
• Overbaking until the custard curdles and weeps
• Too much filler/vegetables diluting the egg-cream custard

Originating in the Lorraine region of northeastern France; the historical original is eggs, cream, and lardons in a pastry shell, with cheese a later (often non-traditional) addition.

1. 1.French regional culinary tradition

Confidence: high