Classic Quiche Lorraine

Prepare the homemade pie crust and chill, or use store-bought pie crust. Roll out 1 pie crust to 12" on a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of parchment paper, then transfer to the tart pan*or deep pie pan. Press the pastry dough into the pan with your fingers to mold to the pan. Freeze for about 30 minutes, meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350˚F with the rack in the middle.

Remove the prepared pastry tart from the freezer and blind bake it by first poking the bottom with a fork about every inch or so. Next, line the tart with parchment paper or foil allowing the ends to stick out a couple of inches above the tart edges.

If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill the inside with pie weights** 3/4 full and bake at 350˚F for about 35-40 minutes or until the tart is mostly baked through and light golden color. Remove from the oven, remove the pie weights and parchment. Brush the inside of the baked tart with a whisked egg white to prevent the crust from becoming soggy from the filling.

While pie is pre-baking, preheat a large skillet over medium heat and saute the bacon until fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add onions to the bacon fat and cook, stirring often, until golden, then transfer to the plate with the bacon.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, then add half and half, salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg and whisk together for about a minute to incorporate a little bit of air into the custard. Stir in the cheese, prepared bacon and onion then pour the filling into the prebaked crust.

Bake the quiche Lorraine in a preheated 350˚F oven for about 50-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean and the center jiggles slightly. The quiche will continue cooking after it is removed from the oven.

Remove from the oven and let it cool 10-15 minutes to cool slightly and set before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired.