Quiche Lorraine
The word Quiche derives from German “Kuchen”, meaning “cake.”
In the summer the people of Lorraine harvested Spring onions from the garden, which they chopped and enhanced the taste of the mixture
In the Lorraine region (now France), the Quiche Lorraine mixture was made from everyday ingredients and was reduced to the bare minimum: beaten eggs with cream and a little butter
As the writer Guy Cabourdin from the Middle Ages specifies: “The quality of the Lorraine quiche is thin and crispy and depended on the freshness of the products used”. The bacon used was not mentioned until the nineteenth century.
In fact, the contemporary quiche is very thick, compared to the historical version and it has only been eaten in this form since the 19th century. It is not unreasonable to think that ike many initially rustic dishes in Lorraine, marked by frugality and simplicity. The increase in the standard of living and the adoption of the dish by bourgeois city dwellers contributed to give it more consistency.
Back in the days, the Quiche was a quick snack due to the hostess’ lack of time on the day of baking the bread. The main difference with the today’s Ouiche lies in the nature and thickness of the dough; for centuries, it was a fine bread dough, whose mixture, made from everyday ingredients was reduced to the bare minimum: beaten eggs with cream and a little butter. In the summer it was harvest from the garden like Spring onions, which were chopped to enhance the taste of the mixture.
The basis is called Migaine and originated in Lorraine. It consists of a mixture of beaten eggs and crème fraîche that is seasoned with salt and pepper in which smoked prosciutto (bacon) is mixed. Nowadays, there are as many Migaines as there are variations of quiche and tart, whether savory or sweet.
Below a Quiche layered with Savoy Cabbage, Asparagus and Bacon
The kinship of the original quiche with the Alsatian Tartes Flambée (Flammkuchen) is very obvious, because the latter has kept the practice of a thin dough similar to the historical Quiche. The people of Lorraine, who live in the regions bordering Alsace and who bake the Tarte Flambée (cooked over wood-fired ovens), know from experience that there is a difference in culinary tradition between the Lorraine and Alsatian Quiche. The people of Lorraine favor crème fraîche, while the Alsatians combine fromage blanc (Bibeleskaes) and crème fraîche with a little flour. The Alsatian Flammkuchen is therefore similar to the Lorraine Quiche.
Lorraine Quiche with Asparagus
Ingredients
- Pie crust (store bought), like the classic Pillsbury pie crust.
- Filling:
- 1 lb green asparagus (and/or savoy cabbage)
- 8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
- 1 cup whole cream
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheese (white cheddar, gouda, swiss)
- 3 cloves garlic
- Dash of salt and pepper, nutmeg
Instructions
- You should always pre-bake the pie crust to avoid a gummy pastry.
- I placed mine in to a 9″ spring form.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Bake pie crust for 10 min., it creates a stronger crust that can better hold a moist filling, such as the egg mixture in quiche.
- Wash the asparagus or savoy cabbage, cut into small pieces and blanch in salted water.
- Allow to cool briefly and spread on the dough.
- Fry the bacon and crumble, then sprinkle over the savoy cabbage.
- Mix the cream with grated cheese, eggs and spices and pour over the quiche.
- Bake in the preheated oven first 10 min at 400 F on the lowest shelf and then continue at 350 F top/bottom heat for approx. 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cover with foil halfway through if it gets too dark
