Hurricane Joaquin passed us by with barely a brush, but for
two weeks preceding we had nothing . but.
rain. My boss's husband counted eighteen days of drear. General bad weather chased in circles by a nor’easter
will do that for you. And after a fortnight of this weather, there’s no wanting
energetic food. I want comfort food. Food necessary and amiable to cuddling up
with, accompanied by tea or coffee or the occasional cup of cider. We all know
that food tastes better when shared with a friend, so on my day off I rallied
to the grocery store, got a few things, drove to my friend’s house, and set to
work on a Quiche Lorraine. Joanna is eight months pregnant, so all this cream
and bacon and Old Croc cheddar cheese and flaky, buttery pastry was for her
sake. Yep. Let’s go with that explanation. Alllllll that yummy, fatty goodness
just for the sake of baby JoJo.
Prior to reading Mastering
The Art of French Cooking, my ratio of eggs-to-cream in a quiche was
majorly off. When I make quiche for my family, I leave off the crust (who has
time for pastry crust in the morning when ten people are waiting for
breakfast?) and I usually crack nearly a dozen eggs, add a splash of cream or
milk, and whatever “good stuff” we have on hand. So my concept of quiche was
basically a glorified omelet. “Omelet Pie,” let’s call it. Good, quivery,
creamy slices of quiche at several restaurants over the summer and early autumn
succeeded in changing my ideal of what a quiche ought to be. I am pleased to announce that this quiche, based off Julia Child's vision for Quiche Lorraine is the perfect composition. And the beauty of quiche is that it seems to grow better with time and is the perfect thing to eat for tomorrow's breakfast or lunch! I love things that do double-duty and leave me more time in my mornings!
Bacon-Cheddar Quiche:
6-8 slices of bacon, cooked to a crisp
An 8-inch, partially-cooked pastry shell placed on a baking sheet
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup very sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons butter cut into pea-sized dots
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop crispy bacon into crumbles. Beat eggs, cream, milk, and seasonings in a mixing bowl till blended. Check seasonings. Mix in bacon crumbles and shredded cheese.
2.) Pour filling into pastry shell and distribute pats of butter across top. Bake for 25-30 minutes in upper third of oven, or until quiche has puffed and browned. Be certain filling is set before removing from oven. The quiche will be slightly jiggly but not sloshy. Allow to cool.
This sounds so amazing!! You just made me REALLY HUNGRY :D Wow, you had rain for eighteen days? That must've been wearing. I like rainy weather on the days that I feel like staying indoors, curling up, and writing or reading, but 18 DAYS OF RAIN? Sheesh. Tough luck . . . I hope you have sunny skies again soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks! We've had sunny skies for a little while now, though it's rainy again today. ;)
DeleteMust have this in my mouth soon. You had me at bacon and cheeeeeese. :)
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ReplyDeleteSorry, my phone commented twice. Although, HEY, BACON AND CHEESE excites me, what can I say?
ReplyDeletePerfectly valid reason. XD
DeleteQuiche truly is the best comfort food! I remember how shocked I was too when I found out the (small) amount of eggs in quiche- haha! Have you ever tried it with Swiss cheese instead of cheddar? It gives it a delightfully airy taste.
ReplyDeleteI haven't, but that sounds amazing! :)
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