Quiche Lorraine Sounds So Sophisticated

Back when I was a new cook, I didn’t know much of anything.  Every recipe I looked at impressed me.  When one of my sophisticated friends invited me to dinner and made Spaghetti with Garlic Sauce, I was enthralled.  Only when I dared make it myself did I realize how easy it was.

My first taste of Quiche Lorraine came at a cocktail party.  By then I was slightly more ambitious in the kitchen.  I liked the bacon-y flavor of the quiche but had no idea what was in it.  There was no Internet then, so I went to a bookstore and searched through cookbooks.  That may be when I bought my first copy of “Joy of Cooking,” which included a Quiche Lorraine recipe. 

After studying it, I realized this dish was really a bacon and egg pie.  How hard could that be to make?

Harder than I thought because it involved making a pie crust.  At least I had my grandmother’s rolling pin.  When I bought the recipe ingredients, I also bought a pie pan.  Several hours later I proudly took my first quiche out of the oven.  It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 

Over the years I’ve adapted the original recipe, but the first bite always brings back memories of my young and foolish years.

          Quiche Lorraine – serves 4-6 (with a nod to “Joy of Cooking”)  

1 unbaked pie crust 

4 slices bacon  

1 medium onion, thinly sliced 

1 1/2 cups light cream 

3 large eggs 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg  

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

1/2 cup grated Edam or Swiss cheese  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Put the bacon slices into a heavy frying pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly as the bacon gives up its fat and begins to brown.  Turn the slices over and cook for another minute.  Remove the cooked bacon and let it drain on a paper towel-covered plate. 

Pour off most of the bacon fat into an empty can or jar, leaving about 1 teaspoon fat in the pan.  Add the sliced onions and stir until it begins to soften.  Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. 

In a large bowl combine the light cream, eggs, nutmeg, salt, black pepper and cheese and stir thoroughly.  Add the cooked onions and stir again. 

Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces with scissors and scatter the pieces over the unbaked pie crust.  Pour the cream/egg mixture over the bacon pieces and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top has begun to brown and knife inserted into the top of the quiche comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a rack.  Serve or reheat when needed.