historic traditional quiche lorraine and its variants

Quiche Lorraine, a variant of quiche, is a delicious pastry originally from Lorraine cuisine, hence the name.

Quiche Lorraine is now widely used in France and we love it changes the ingredients depending on what’s in your fridge or your eating habits. We can still talk after this Quiche Lorraine ? We leave that question up to you, or find a compromise, like a quiche that’s almost Lorraine or a Lorraine-inspired pie. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call it quiche Lorraine and get acquainted with its variants.

Recipe: traditional quiche Lorraine and its variants

If seasonal fruits and vegetables are starting to diversify, this is no reason to avoid comfort food. Quiche Lorraine easily adapts to a slightly chilled or summer picnic, eaten hot or cold.

Type: starter, main course
Difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

For six people

Traditional Lorraine quiche, an easy recipe

This is where the man’s name comes from Francique Lorraine and experts are not entirely sure of the origin of the word. The Quiche Lorraine recipe has also evolved over time., because now it is thicker than when it was originally thin and crispy. French historian Guy Cabourden explains that it thickened in the 19th century and then we pig since then (1).

We use first thin bread doughand pies and quiches are baked the day the bread is baked to optimize the use of any shared oven.
We put the beaten eggs with cream and a little butter to form the so-called migen. It is not unusual to add garden cloves in the spring.

This is common and already in the 19th and 20th centuries regional variants were common. There is some debate about the presence of onions, which are considered Alsatian in the form of dough, bread, puff or crack. Currently, we can still argue about the existence of ham or pork:

Traditional quiche Lorraine recipe

Here’s the general recipe, with bacon bits:

• a doughhandmade or purchased
• 3 whole eggs (one version uses 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks or more, depending on whether you need egg whites)
• 40 cl fresh liquid cream (or half cream half milk depending on your inspiration)
• 200-250 g of smoked pork
• 30 g of butter
• salt, pepper and nutmeg and onion in season

Preparation

• First, preheat the oven to 220°C (thermostat 7).
• Then do it return the bacon to the pan without adding fat. If necessary, drain the oil in between.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a whisk. Add fresh cream and mix.
• Then add spices, pork slices and mix.
• Oil your food or place parchment paper if necessary.
• Then roll out your pastry dough and to poke the bottom with a fork.
• Small sheep butter flakes evenly at the bottom.
• Then pour in the egg mixture.
• Put the Quiche Lorraine in the oven, first about ten minutes 220°C before lowering the temperature 140°C about 15-30 minutes depending on your oven.
• Serve Quiche Lorraine hot or cold.

Quiche Lorraine without dough?

Quiche without dough Lorraine – © Elena Hramova

Some recipes do not include a dough base. Here is the list of ingredients to mix at 200°C for about 30 minutes and pour into a pie dish:

• 200 g of bacon or ham
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 10 cl of fresh cream and 20 cl of milk
• 15 g butter
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg

We often add grated cheese, optional.

Variants of Quiche Lorraine

The preparation will be the same every time, please see the list above. Here you can find options on the ingredient side.

A beautiful quiche from La Blootz, Franconia

In this region, close to Germany, a quiche is made, the recipe of which is very similar to the Lorraine quiche, and the recipe is simply delicious. there is a a sweet version cooked in autumn with apples or plums for example. In the spring we use asparagus. A man’s base is the same. Quiche is often thinner and you can make an egg or pack it in a smaller mold. Here is an option:

• Use only two eggs.
• For the cream, use 20-30 cl, depending on whether you include bacon bits or not.
• Add bacon if desired.
• Add 500g of fine green asparagus or white asparagus tips.
• You can also add canned mushrooms or replace the asparagus with 400 g of mushrooms, such as chanterelles, in season.
• Replace with garlicwild garlic or why not a mixture of garlic and spinach.

Lorraine man with asparagus – © hlphoto

Lorraine man without cream, milk and eggs

Then a vegan quiche lorraine if you decide not to add baconor just an option in case of intolerance with eggs and dairy products. Proceed in the same way as a traditional Lorraine quiche with the following ingredients:

• Short pastry dough
• For a vegan version, 200g pork, if not cubed vegan or smoked tofu
• 40 cl soy cream
• two tablespoons malt yeast in sequins (optional)
• two tablespoons (20 g). corn starch
• salt, pepper and onion

The article has been updated and republished

Banner image: Traditional quiche Lorraine recipe and its variations – © Cesarz