Recipe: Quiche Lorraine

I CAN'T THINK of many recipes that evoke more childhood food memories than watching my mum making a quiche. Homemade pastry being rolled, the sound of eggs whisking and that glorious savoury waft as the oven door is opened. You rarely see any form of tart on menus these days and that's a real shame, but it gave me reason to revive this beautiful classic.

Shortcrust pastry is really easy to make at home, even if you are short on time.  You will need a food processor to bind the ingredients together (see method). It really is a simple and rewarding way to make delicious pastry. It will need a bit of resting but the result is far better than shop bought pastry and this recipe is incredibly reliable.  Hell, you might even have fun making it!

Ingredients (makes 8 generous slices):

For the pastry:

200g plain flour, sifted

125g salted butter, at room temperature

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of sugar

For the filling:

200g pack of smoked bacon lardons

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

150g cheddar, grated(I know it should be gruyere but I used cheddar)

284mls double cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Sea salt and pepper

Method:

1) First, make the pastry. Place the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add the rest of the ingredients and gently pulse until it forms a solid dough.  Place onto a sheet of cling film, cover and place in the fridge for at least 20 mins.

2) Pre-heat oven to 180C. For the filling, fry the lardons in a hot pan for three mins.  Set aside.  Beat the eggs together, mix in the cream, cheese (keep some aside for the top), nutmeg and seasoning.

3) Roll out the chilled pastry to roughly the thickness of a pound coin.  Line a 23 x 2.5cm tart tin by placing the pastry over the entire dish, then gently lift the edges up to fit snuggly within the tin. Lightly press into the tin then cut off any excess pastry and push firmly to ensure pastry is right up against the edge.

4) If you have time, place into the fridge for 10 mins to rest, although not overly important.  Place a sheet of cling film over the pastry from bottom to top, then another from left to right, ensuring there is a generous overlap.  Pour in the baking beans and fold the excess cling film over. Place in the oven for 12 mins.  

5) Remove the cling film and baking beans (be careful they'll be hot) then prick the base with a fork.  Place back in the oven for a further three minutes.

6) Make sure the filling is well mixed.  Add into the pastry case and sprinkle remaining cheese on top

7) Bake in centre of the oven for around 25 mins until lightly golden. You want a tiny wobble still in the middle, as it will continue cooking when removed. Trim the edges of the tart tin with a serrated blade.