No-Mess Quiche Lorraine Recipe
Prep Time:
50 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup ice-cold water
  • 2 medium shallots
  • ½ yellow onion
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 1 small bunch chives
  • 1 lemon
  • 8 ounces thick-cut bacon
  • 9 eggs, divided
  • 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese, divided
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Directions
  1. To make the pie crust, cut the butter into chunks. Add the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and sugar to a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to combine these ingredients. Add the butter chunks to the food processor. Process in 5-second bursts, until pea-sized pieces form.
  2. Continue to pulse the food processor while slowly pouring in the ice water until a dough forms and starts pulling away from the sides.
  3. Dust your work surface and hands with flour. Pour the dough out onto your work surface and knead it 2-3 times. Form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.
  4. As the crust rests, peel and thinly slice the shallot and onion. Strip the leaves from 1 sprig of thyme and chop it finely, then set it aside. Finely mince the chives, measure 2 tablespoons, and set aside. Wash and zest the lemon, measure 1 teaspoon, and set aside.
  5. Crack 1 egg and divide it, reserving the white and discarding the yolk. Crack the remaining eight eggs into a separate, medium-sized bowl.
  6. Cut the bacon into ½-inch pieces. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the bacon over medium heat and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is brown and crisp, about 13-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium bowl.
  7. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat from the pan. Add the shallots, 2 thyme sprigs, and onions to the pan, and cook until the onions have softened, 4-5 minutes, scraping up any fond that has formed on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the softened onions to the bowl with the bacon, discarding the thyme sprigs. Let the aromatics cool completely.
  8. While the bacon and onions cool, prepare your pie crust. Preheat your oven to 325 F. While preheating, remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly-floured work surface, roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch round, then fit it into a 9 ½x2-inch deep pie pan or springform pan. Allow the crust to overhang slightly. Trim off any large pieces, as needed. If desired, crimp the crust edges.
  9. Whisk the separated egg white with a fork until frothy. Brush the egg white over the crust bottom and up the sides.
  10. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with ½ cup grated Gruyère. Bake for 5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool while you prepare the filling.
  11. In your food processor, add the cream, eggs, kosher salt, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper, and process until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the cooled bacon, onion, and shallots. Add the remaining ½ cup Gruyère, Parmesan, and 1½ tablespoons chives. Stir to combine.
  12. Place the cooled crust on a sheet pan and pour in the filling. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the very center is barely jiggly (you want it to register 175-180 F with a probe thermometer in the middle). Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool completely, at least 1 hour, before serving.
  13. Garnish with chives before serving, if desired.