One recipe for basic pastry
6 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1 cup milk (preferably whole)
8 ounces gruyère, emmenthal, or other Swiss-type cheese
4 oz. good qualty slab bacon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg - optional |
Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2 inch glass or metal pie
plate (not removable bottom). Crimp the edges, poke the bottom
with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, and place the pastry in
the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights and bake
in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at
the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the
aluminum foil and pastry weights. Return the pastry to the oven
to bake until the bottom is golden, an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and reserve.Remove the rind from 4
ounces good-quality slab bacon, and cut it into thick slices,
then cut the slices in half, lengthwise, and crosswise into
1/4-inch thick slices. Place these in a heavy pan over medium
heat and cook the bacon until it is crisp. Drain it on a
paper-towel covered plate, and sprinkle it over the pre-baked
pastry
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the
milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper,
then add the cheese and stir until it is blended, Turn the
mixture into the pre-baked pastry, and spread out the cheese
evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with
nutmeg if you've used a Swiss-type cheese, and bake in the
center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and
is completely baked through, about 30 minutes. To test for
doneness, shake the quiche - if it is solid without a pool of
uncooked filling in the center, it is done. You may also stick a
sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes
out clean, the quiche is baked through.
Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately. |
