Light Bites
French
FrenchQuiche Lorraine
The classic bacon and egg tart, three ways. The basic uses ready-made pastry and milk, while the ultimate is an all-butter homemade shell with smoked lardons, Gruyere and a silky cream custard.
Nut-free
Better version
Blind-baked block pastry with proper lardons, cream and a little nutmeg.
Per serving£1.25
Total cost£7.50
Time1 hr 15 min
Ingredients for 6
- Pastry
- 320 g block shortcrust pastry , chilled
- Filling
- 200 g smoked bacon lardons
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 150 ml double cream
- 100 ml whole milk
- 100 g mature Cheddar , grated
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- salt and white pepper , to taste
Method
- Roll the pastry and line a 23cm tart tin, then chill for 20 minutes.
- Blind bake at 190C with baking beans for 15 minutes, remove the beans and bake 5 minutes more.
- Fry the lardons until golden and drain on kitchen paper.
- Whisk the eggs, yolk, cream, milk, nutmeg and seasoning together.
- Scatter lardons and Cheddar into the case, pour over the custard.
- Bake at 170C for 25 to 30 minutes until set with a slight wobble, then cool before serving.
Equipment
- 23cm tart tin
- baking beans
- frying pan
- whisk
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Shop-bought pastry case, value bacon and a milk-based custard.
Better
Blind-baked block pastry with proper lardons, cream and a little nutmeg.
Ultimate
All-butter homemade pastry, smoked lardons, Gruyere and a pure cream custard.
