Refresh
    Bacon Quiche

    A Quiche makes a simple yet satisfying Meal. It also can be eaten hot or cold which renders it perfect for PicNic. The beauty of a Quiche is that its basic recipe can be adpted to your taste, your dietary needs or the Seasons. By personal preference I love eating a Quiche served with a Salad on a Summer evening. This recipe is a simple Bacon Quiche (we can't call it a Quiche Lorraine but it is a variation of the Quiche, with a similar concept). 

    Putting it all Together
    Bacon Quiche
    Timing
    • Preptime: 40 to 50 minutes
    • Cooktime: 1 hour.
    • Servings: 2-4 portions
    Ingredients

    175g to 200g of Plain Flour. Sieved.

    75g to 100g of Butter.

    Water.

    A little Salt.

    All of the above Ingredients are for the Short Crust Pastry. Otherwise you can buy a shop bought pre-made Short Crust Pastry.

     

    4 to 5 Eggs. 

    200 ml of Double Cream. 

    100 ml of Milk.

    2 Unsmoked Bacon Rashers.

    200 of Lardons.

    A handfull of Green Peas. (Petit Pois)

    A tablespoon of chopped Parsley.

    250g of Grated Cheese. (Comté, Gruyére, Cheddar, a Cheese of your choice)

     A dash of Crushed White or Black Peppercorn.

    All of the above are for the Filling of the Bacon Quiche.

     

    For the Salad:

    300g of Baby Spinach.

    1 or 2 Baby Gem Lettuce.

    1 or 2 Red Sweet Bell Peppers deseeded and sliced.

    150g to 200g Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half.

    A French Vinaigrette or Italian Balsamic Vinegar one. 

     

     

     

     

    Steps

    First the attention has to be on the Short Crust Pastry which does take some times to render it right. One little step is to sieve your Plain Flour. 

    Make sure that your Butter is at room temperature. Cube it and add to the Flour with a little Salt. Then comes the greasy hands part when you mix everything together up until the texture feels like Breadcrumbs under your fingers. When you have your soft Breadcrumbs, you must add Water to bring them together to form the Short Crust Pastry. Go slow and judge at sight and touch when you need to stop adding the cold Water. It must be just enough to form a firm Dough.

    Wrap your Dough in cling film and let it rest for half an hour in the fridge.

    Meanwhile you can assemble all your Ingredients on your kitchen worktop to prepare the filling of the Quiche. Start by breaking your Eggs carefully one by one into a little ramequin in order to unsure that no bits of shell are within then pour into a large bowl.

    Add the Milk and the Double Cream to your large Bowl with Eggs, seasoned then whisk to a smooth consistency.

    Warm your oven to gas mark 5.  Defrost your hanful of Green Peas if using from frozen. Otherwise take the Peas out of their pods.

    Roll your Short Crust Pastry upon a board with a little Flour upon the board so the Pastry doesn't stick upon the board. Butter your pie/flan dish evenly then place your rolled Pastry inside it. At that stage you do not want to trim the edges because during cooking they will reduce in size, shrink as per say. Then put the rolled shaped Pastry back in the fridge to firm up for a while.

    Put your Peas, chopped Parsley and Lardons in your Eggs and Milk/Cream. Add the Cheese then stir.

    Prepare your Cartouche of Baking Paper to put upon your Pastry to prevent it to rise when it is in the oven. Take your chilled Pie Short Crust Pastry out of the fridge. Put the Cartouche on it, and fill the Cartouche with something dry with a little weight in order. I tend to use dry rice in order to blind bake the Short Crust Pastry for about 20 minutes. Then put in the oven.

    It gives you time to prepare your Ingredients for your Side Salad and to put them in a large Salad Bowl but don't put the Vinaigrette up until the end. Five minutes before serving the Salad that is when the Vinaigrette can be poured in.

    Deseed and slice the Sweet Bell Pepper. Keep the seeds if you want to grow Sweet Bell Pepper later. It is very rewarding to grow your own. 

    Wash your Spinach and Baby Gem Lettuce, then let them dry by draining them thoroughly. Make sure you did separate the leaves of your Baby Gem Lettuce beforehand.

    Cut your Cherry Tomatoes in half.

    Your Short Crust Pastry Case should be done by then and firm. It is time to reduce the temperature of the oven to gas mark 4 and to take it out of the oven to fill up the case with the Eggs and Bacon filling. Then put your entire Quiche back to cook fully. Ensure you did remove the Cartouche and whatever you used to weigh down your Pastry for it to not rise but put your Quiche to bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. But make sure you decorate your Quiche with cuts of Bacon Rashers on the top and a little in the centre.

    Meanwhile prepare your Vinaigrette for your Side Salad. Do the Vinaigrette in your own style and taste. I like doing French or Italian Vinaigrette myself.

    Assemble your Salad. Toss it with the Vinaigrette.

    Prepare the table, the cutlery, then the plates with the Salad.

    Take your Bacon Quiche out of the oven and cut it and divide it upon your plates.

    Then just serve and enjoy your supper. 

     

     

     

      

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