Fulfilling Quiche Lorraine

Comfort food, utter bliss on a cold January day! Made from scratch but don't be afraid, this took under 2 hours to make start to finish. The whole family enjoyed this so much it was gone within 20 minutes! I served my quiche with a simple spinach salad on the side. My inspiration to this recipe came from a series on Food Network by English chef 'Rachel Khoo' who covers classic Parisian recipes. Her series "The Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking by Rachel Khoo" is just perfect if you want to cover some classic French dishes. Although it's advised to chill shortcrust pastry for 24 hours, in a rush an hour is just fine.
You want to make sure when cooking this recipe, don't be tempted to open the oven door halfway through cooking as this will only deflate the quiche and not look as appetising!

Vegetarian? (Salmon & asparagus would also be just as delicious)!

Ingredients:

Shortcrust Pastry

90g softened unsalted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

180 plain flour

2 egg yolks (don't throw the whites)

2-4 tablespoons of cold water

Quiche Lorraine Filling

300ml of double cream (or milk as alternative)

150g of good quality bacon or Pancetta
4 eggs & 2 egg yolks

Seasoning - to taste

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

Cream together the unsalted butter, sugar and salt until light and well mixed, followed by adding flour and the egg yolks. Slowly add your cold water to form into a dough. You want to cover this in either cling film or baking paper to chill in the fridge. (Chill for at least an hour , or overnight for a firmer base).
Prepare your 23cm Quiche/Tart tin and find your rolling pin and baking paper! Take your pastry out of the fridge and place it between two sheets of baking paper to make it easier to roll out. Gently place the pastry into the tin and using your rolling pin, roll along the top of the Quiche tin to trim away any excess. (You can also patch with this if need be). Place your pastry back into the fridge whilst preparing your filling.

Quiche Lorraine Filling:

With your frying pan on a medium to high heat, add your bacon/pancetta stirring occasionally until a lovely, crispy golden brown colour appears. (Place them on a kitchen towel to soak up any excess fat).

Whish together all your eggs including the two egg yolks, cream/milk and salt & pepper. Take your pastry out of the fridge, wash your egg white you saved across the pastry to prevent a 'soggy bottom', sprinkle your bacon/pancetta and pour your egg mixture on top.

Bake for 180 degrees at 40-45 minutes until risen and golden on top.

Served with a simple side salad and served straight out of the oven, it can also be eaten cold and stored up to 3 days in the fridge.

Enjoy!