Quiche Lorraine

You will also need:
– A 23 cm/9-inch fluted flan tin, preferably with a loose bottom to enable easy removal after cooking.
– A frying pan.
– A baking sheet.

To make the pastry, put all of the pastry ingredients into a food processor. Using the pulse button, pulse until it binds then tip it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a ball shape and roll out as thinly as possible. Then line the flan tin with it, covering the bottom and sides of the tin. Trim the pastry edges to just fractionally above the level of the flan tin. This helps with shrinkage. Save the trimmings (you might need them later). Use a small piece of the trimmings now, as a tool to press the pastry into the fluted edges, doing so gently. Lightly prick the base of the pastry with a fork then leave it in the fridge to chill for ten minutes.

Heat oven to 375 F/190 C/fan 170 C/gas 5 and place a baking sheet in it.

Line the chilled pastry with foil, shiny side down and fill with baking beans. Place the pan with the pastry on the hot baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil and beans, doing so very gently because sometimes it sticks to the pastry. Use your trimmings to fill any cracks or holes that have appeared in the pastry. A wet finger helps to bind the uncooked pastry to the cooked. I don’t mean suck your finger then use it. I mean run your fingers under the tap! Now put the pastry case back in the oven, on the baking sheet, and bake for another 3 minutes.

While the pastry is cooking, make the filling. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Fry for a minute until it starts to release any fat, then add the onion. Fry until the bacon begins to colour but not crisp up and the onion becomes translucent. Remove the mixture from the pan and drain on kitchen paper—you don’t want a greasy quiche!

When the pastry case is cooked, scatter 3/4 of the cheese and all of the bacon and onion over the base. Set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 F/180 C/155 C fan/gas 4.

In a medium sized bowl beat together the crème fraîche and double cream, then add the beaten eggs and thoroughly combine. Season with a little pepper. You shouldn’t really need salt. Pour into the pastry case, over the bacon, onion and cheese then sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until golden and softly set. There really should be a tiny little wobble in the centre of the quiche, so if you’re feeling brave shake it and see what happens.

Remove it from the oven when done. Let it cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before you turn it out, if you’re serving it hot. Or once it’s cooled, place in the fridge for later.