This recipe for quiche Lorraine – that is to say quiche with bacon – attacks a certain vision of tradition: the addition of a few grated Comté flakes risks provoking the ire of purists. Let's say that tradition loses where gluttony wins.

A venerable institution, the Lorraine quiche, Lorraine's greatest export success since Joan of Arc, arouses, as you may discover, many comments, many debates and some Homeric disputes.

Savory or sweet quiche?

Let us still remember the facts. Even if it means going against some preconceived ideas, quiche historically referred to all types of tarts . Savory tarts and sweet tarts, yes. As desserts, at the beginning of the 20th century there were still “quiches” with cream flavored with vanilla or orange blossom, quiches with rice and vanilla, with onions and white poppy seeds… On the savory side, shortcrust pastry was not always the rule. It was sometimes puff pastry or even simple bread dough thinned with a rolling pin.

As for the word “quiche” itself, from the dialect, it only appeared late, in the 19th century. This tart also had other names like this very elegant one: “barge” . “Will you take a share of the goodwill? ". It's more chic than "quiche" whose tart character of the recipe has ended up in everyday language designating a person with a suspicious intelligence.

In order not to stray further from the subject, let us go back to its origins. The recipe for this cream pie seems very old. This “quiche” which did not yet give its current name was apparently known from the 12th century by the chapter of Saint-Dié in the Vosges . The Deodatian religious chapter is said to have abandoned certain royalties owed to it by the Blainville monastery in exchange for a mysterious recipe for a cream pie cooked in a baker's oven. Our administrations would undoubtedly be inspired to put into practice this Lorraine vision of the tax base and greedy amnesty when we see the success, eight centuries later, of such an initiative.

To be enjoyed immediately

There is unanimity on one point: it is eaten hot, boiling , straight from the oven and washed down, if you want to stay in the Lorraine region, with a pinot noir from the Côtes de Toul or with a livelier Moselle wine. “Just a little more, Madame Muller!” And your Lorraine quiche, studded with hazelnut bacon, seasoned with Essey petit gris wine! Go to La Ronchère, I tell you, our great Lorrainers of old would have had more than their “delights”! » . Alas, of the “little gray wine of Essey” sung by the Lorraine bard Émile Badel, in his book Terre de Lorraine* (1917) there remains only one path, that of the “white vines”. All that remains is the quiche, a timeless treat that is sure to have an effect.

Ingredients

For 4-6 people

Pastry

• 250g of flour
• 125 g of churned butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 5 cl of water
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of sugar

Quiche

• 200 g of Vosges smoked bacon
• 100 g of Comté
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 40 cl of Lehmann raw farmhouse crème fraîche
• 30 cl of semi-skimmed milk
• Salt
• Mill pepper
• Nutmeg

Preparation

1. Prepare the shortcrust pastry with the ingredients mentioned. Mix everything together, knead by hand and form a ball. Leave for a few hours. In stores, if you want to buy a dough already prepared, choose a dough that is 100% pure butter. The quality of the shortcrust pastry is 51% of the quiche .
2. Then, take the Vosges smoked bacon into slices , cut bacon half a centimeter wide, remove the rind – the hard part – from the bacon. In a pan of boiling unsalted water, blanch the bacon for two minutes. Reserve.
3. In a mixing bowl or salad bowl, mix the eggs, raw crème fraîche and milk. Beat everything together then grate a little nutmeg. Salt and pepper with a grinder. Your migaine is ready!
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C .
5. Generously butter a pie pan or use parchment paper in this pie pan. Work the shortcrust pastry, roll it out with a rolling pin and place it in the tart mold or in the tart ring. Once the dough has been placed and carefully adjusted to the edges, prick the tart base with a fork . This is essential to prevent the dough from swelling during baking. Arrange the smoked Vosges bacon, grate 100g of Comté cheese over all. Add the migaine by pouring the liquid slowly.
6. Place the quiche Lorraine in the oven on the drip pan halfway up for 30 to 45 minutes . Monitor the cooking. The quiche should have a golden-brown color, without burning. Serve with a nice salad.

Advice

Just one piece of advice for a successful start: take care in your choice of products. Avoid industrial bacon soaked in water as much as possible : you will see the difference in terms of taste, nutritional quality and chewiness. Choose raw farmhouse cream and quality eggs. The secret of a Lorraine quiche lies in the quality of the products chosen. And it doesn't cost more, on the contrary.

* Land of Lorraine: sites and landscapes, our old customs, the soul-makers of Lorraine, Emille Badel, 1917

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