Quiche Lorraine (Classic French Tart)

About This Recipe

Quiche Lorraine is France's most exported tart and one of its most perfect dishes. At its most austere (and arguably most elegant), the filling contains only lardons, eggs and cream — no cheese at all. The modern version adds Gruyère, which provides flavour and structure. The pastry must be blind-baked before filling to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom. The filling should be silky and just set — not rubbery, not liquid. The balance of cream to eggs determines this: too many eggs produces a firm, rubbery quiche; the right ratio of three eggs to 200 ml cream per quiche gives the characteristic wobble and smooth custard texture. Quiche Lorraine is served warm or at room temperature, never hot, with a simple green salad. Rooted in the everyday cooking of French kitchens, Quiche Lorraine (Classic French Tart) balances technique and tradition: the plain flour is treated with care, drawing on time-honoured ratios that locals have refined across generations. The dish carries an unmistakable sensory signature — aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks, layered textures that reveal themselves bite by bite, and a depth of flavour that comes from patient seasoning rather than shortcuts. Whether served as a weeknight dinner or as the centrepiece of a celebratory table, it reflects a regional pantry where local produce, seasoning habits and cooking vessels shape the final result. Home cooks who make this dish often note how forgiving it is once the core method is understood, and how a few small choices — the freshness of the plain flour, the order of additions, the resting time at the end — separate a good version from a memorable one. This recipe walks through those choices so the dish arrives with the character it has on its home turf.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 200 gplain flour
• 100 gcold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1egg yolk
• 3 tbspcold water
• pinch of salt
• 180 gsmoked lardons or bacon, cubed
• 3eggs
• 200 mldouble cream
• 50 mlwhole milk
• 80 gGruyère, finely grated
• pinchfreshly grated nutmeg
• to tastesalt and white pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make shortcrust pastry

   Rub butter into flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water. Mix until dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Blind bake pastry

   Roll pastry to 3 mm and line a 23 cm tart tin. Prick base, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15 minutes. Remove paper and beans, bake 5 more minutes. Brush with a little beaten egg and bake 3 minutes — this waterproofs the base.

3. 3

   Cook lardons

   Fry lardons in a dry pan until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

4. 4

   Make custard

   Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, nutmeg, salt and white pepper.

5. 5

   Fill and bake

   Scatter lardons and Gruyère over the pastry base. Pour in the custard — fill to just below the rim. Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 30–35 minutes until the filling is just set with a slight wobble in the centre.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dressed green salad.

Variations

• •

  Quiche aux champignons: replace lardons with sautéed mushrooms for a vegetarian version.

• •

  Quiche aux poireaux: use sweated leeks and gruyère for a classic variation.

• •

  Vegetarian: replace the main protein with mushrooms, paneer, tofu or hearty beans for a meat-free version.

• •

  Spicier: add fresh chilli, a chilli paste or a pinch of cayenne with the aromatics for a warmer profile.

• •

  Lighter: reduce the fat by a third and use stock in its place — flavour stays intact but the dish feels less rich.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a 160°C oven for 10 minutes. Do not microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions