Quiche has been the brunt of jokes (remember the book, Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche), but one thing’s for sure: Quiche is delicious!
Quiche Lorraine is perfect for brunch.
Once I mastered the art of making gluten-free pie crust—at first, quite daunting to get that pie crust to roll out without breaking—we starting eating quiche frequently at our house and now I regularly serve it to guests.
Don’t let the pie crust stop you: use a gluten-free store-bought version or omit the crust altogether for a crustless quiche. Personally, I like the contrast of the crispy crust with the creamy filling.
The beauty of Quiche is that it is so versatile. You can make the basic Quiche Lorraine which has bacon or make it vegetarian (see recipe headnote). Use different herbs, even vary the cheese from the traditional Swiss. I have made quiche with non-dairy cheeses such as Vegan Gourmet or Daiya. The flavor varies with the cheeses, but is still delicious.
Quiche Lorraine
Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free 101 by Carol Fenster (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013)
Quiche is perfect for Sunday brunch, but it is also appropriate for luncheons and even dinner. This version with bacon is delicious, but it is also wonderful with [1/2] cup chopped asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, or dried tomatoes.
Makes a 9-inch pie; 6 servings
4 bacon slices
1 cup Swiss cheese or cheese alternative (about 4 ounces), diced
[1/2] cup finely diced yellow onion
[3/4] cup half-and-half or whole milk or milk of choice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large eggs
[1/2] teaspoon salt
[1/4] teaspoon sugar
[1/8] teaspoon grated nutmeg
[1/4] teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 9-inch store-bought gluten-free pie crust OR use the pie crust recipe in my cookbooks
[1] Place racks in the bottom and middle positions of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375?F. Place a 9-inch unbaked pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet for easier handling.
[2] In a heavy skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp, drain on a paper towel, and dice. Sprinkle the bacon and the cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet and fry the onion in it over medium heat until golden and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Arrange the onion over the cheese.
[3] In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch into [1/4] cup of the half-and-half until smooth and then add the rest of the half-and-half. Whisk in the eggs until smooth and then whisk in the salt, sugar, nutmeg, and black pepper until well blended. Pour over the cheese.
[4] Bake the quiche on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then shift it to the middle rack. Continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about another 35 to 40 minutes. Lay strips of foil over the pie crust edge if it starts to brown too much. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes on a wire rack before cutting into 6 slices. Serve warm.
Carol’s Tips
[1] Look for ready-made pie crusts by Whole Foods or Gillian’s. Or make your own with the pie crust recipe from any of my cookbooks.
[2] One time-saver is to assemble a shaped pie crust in the pie pan and freeze it, tightly wrapped. Later, when you’re rushed, yet want to serve quiche just let it thaw on the countertop as you prepare the filling. It’s like finding a present to yourself in the freezer! Just pour the filling into the pie crust and bake. To see Carol making pie crust, go to Videos at www.CarolFensterCooks.com
[3] Quiche makes perfect appetizers. Bake it in a 9-inch pan and cut into mini-squares for serving.
