Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Fit the 9 inch pie crust into a pan, press the edges, then chill in the fridge 10 minutes so it won't shrink when baking.

Blind bake the crust: line it with parchment and pie weights or dried beans and bake 15 minutes, remove weights and bake another 5 to 7 minutes until the crust is just set and barely golden. let it cool a bit.

Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and chop. If you want extra flavor, save about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and brush the cooled crust bottom lightly.

In a large bowl whisk the 4 eggs with 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup whole milk until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and whisk again. For a silky custard you can strain this mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any foam.

Sprinkle about half of the 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese into the bottom of the par-baked crust, then scatter half the chopped bacon over the cheese.

Slowly pour the egg and cream mixture into the crust over the cheese and bacon, don't overfill, leave a little room at the top. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese and bacon on top so they don't all sink.

Bake at 375 F for about 35 to 45 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden and the center is mostly set but still has a little jiggle. If the top browns too fast loosely tent with foil. An instant read thermometer should read about 165 F in the center.

Let the quiche rest on a rack at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing so the custard firms up, otherwise you'll get a runny mess.

Quiche stores well in the fridge for 24 hours and actually tastes better the next day, reheat at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes or serve at room temp.