Quiche Lorraine
This classic French dish is made with a flaky pastry crust filled with eggs, cheese, and bacon. It's a perfect brunch or lunch dish, and it's easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
This classic French dish is made with a flaky pastry crust filled with eggs, cheese, and bacon. It's a perfect brunch or lunch dish, and it's easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
- Carbohydrate 7.20974549862601 g
- Cholesterol 88.7562878801381 mg
- Fat 39.3236669518497 g
- Fiber 0.223963895108965 g
- Protein 15.6367718913078 g
- Saturated Fat 17.3171290309475 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving(s) (192g)
- Sodium 648.208054032153 mg
- Sugar 6.98578160351704 g
- Trans Fat 3.5775654324789 g
- Calories 445 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 450degreesF.
- Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in pastry-lined pie pan.
- Whisk eggs slightly, Beat in remaining ingredients.
- Pour mixture into pie pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 450degreesF.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300degreesF.
- Bake an additional 30 minutes.
- Quiche is done when knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean.
- Important--let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
High initial oven heat is the singular mechanism that prevents pastry from becoming soggy when filled with heavy dairy and eggs. Baking a pastry crust at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for the first fifteen minutes causes water inside the dough to vaporize instantly, forcing the layers of fat and flour apart into distinct, flaky strata before the moisture can migrate downward. Without this thermal shock, liquid leaks into the raw flour and blocks gluten development from setting properly.
Protein Coagulation and Dairy Balance
Whole eggs provide structural integrity through protein networks that trap liquid, while whipping cream introduces high levels of milk fat. Fat molecules physically interrupt the tight bonding of albumin proteins during heating. This interference yields a tender, custard-like texture instead of a rubbery, over-cooked scramble. Salt lowers the thermal threshold at which these proteins coagulate, allowing the custard to set firmly at a reduced oven temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit without developing an unpleasant sulfurous odor. Sugar, added in a small quantity of one-quarter teaspoon, balances the high sodium content of the cured bacon and Swiss cheese by altering human taste receptors' perception of saltiness.
- If the center of the pie jiggles excessively after the total baking time, the internal temperature has not reached the 170 degrees Fahrenheit mark required for complete protein setting.
- Allowing the baked dish to rest for ten minutes permits the hot fat molecules to cool and re-emulsify within the custard matrix, preventing the slices from crumbling upon cutting.
- Adjusting yields requires monitoring fluid ratios; scaling the dairy and eggs down for a smaller pan demands shortening the initial high-heat bake duration to prevent the crust edges from burning.
