There’s nothing quite like a cheesy quiche to enjoy during the summer, and it’s remarkably simple to create from scratch. Mary Berry’s homemade Quiche Lorraine is a delightful combination of crispy bacon, creamy filling, and a generous layer of cheese, making it the ultimate comfort food. It’s an ideal dish to serve at your next picnic, summer party, or simply as a delicious dinner treat for yourself.
The Great British Bakeoff star first shared this recipe in her cookbook ‘Cookery Course,’ emphasizing its ease of preparation. She wrote, “A classic French quiche is a great stand-by for lunch or supper and is always best eaten hot or warm.”
How to make a homemade Quiche Lorraine:
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
* 175g plain flour
* 85g chilled butter
For the filling:
* 175g unsmoked streaky bacon
* 125g Gruyere cheese
* 250ml single cream
* Two large eggs
* One onion
* Salt and pepper
Kitchen equipment needed:
* 20cm loose-bottomed flan tin
Method:
1. Place the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add the butter and gently rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add three tablespoons of cold water until the pastry comes together as a dough ball.
2. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use it to line a flan tin. Chill the tin in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C (Fan 200C or Gas Mark 7).
3. Place the tin in the oven and blind-bake (cook without a filling) for approximately ten minutes, then remove from the oven. As Mary wrote, “Baking the pastry ‘blind’ first, without the filling, ensures that the pastry case is cooked through so it doesn’t get a soggy bottom.”
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (Fan 160C or Gas Mark 4). In a bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper, mix well, and then transfer to the cooled pastry case.
5. Cook the bacon until crispy in a pan over medium heat and then transfer to the pastry case using a slotted spoon. Leave the bacon grease in the pan and cook the onion over medium heat until golden. Add the onion to the pastry and top with grated cheese.
6. Bake the quiche in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and just set. Be careful not to overcook the quiche, as it can become tough and full of holes.
Enjoy the deliciousness of Mary Berry’s Quiche Lorraine, a simple yet satisfying recipe that’s sure to please your taste buds.
