Classic Quiche Lorraine with a Crisp Butter Crust

⏱ 95 min · Serves 6

Deeply savoury smoked bacon, sweet softened onion and a silky cream-and-egg custard baked in a shatteringly crisp buttery pastry case. Serve just warm with a sharp green salad and you have lunch worth lingering over.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 19.5g protein · 29.0g carbs · 45.0g fat

Ingredients

• 200g plain flour
• 110g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp ice-cold water
• 200g smoked streaky bacon or lardons, cut into strips
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 200ml double cream
• 100ml whole milk
• 80g Gruyère, grated
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Rub the flour, salt and cold butter together with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then add just enough ice water to bring it into a dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill 30 minutes.
2. Roll out to about 3mm and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving a little overhang. Prick the base and chill another 15 minutes. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan.
3. Line the case with baking paper and baking beans and blind bake 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake a further 8 minutes until dry and pale gold. Trim the overhang.
4. Meanwhile fry the bacon in a dry pan over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Lift out, then soften the onion in the bacon fat for 8 minutes until sweet and translucent. Cool slightly.
5. Whisk the eggs, extra yolk, cream, milk, nutmeg and plenty of black pepper. Season lightly with salt (the bacon is salty).
6. Scatter the bacon, onion and most of the Gruyère into the pastry case. Pour over the custard and top with remaining cheese.
7. Lower oven to 170C/150C fan and bake 30-35 minutes, until just set with a faint wobble in the centre. Rest 15 minutes before slicing so the custard firms up.