Quiche Lorraine with a Twist

This Quiche Lorraine recipe is one of my favorite recipes. Period. The end. I’ve made a lot of quiches in my time, but this one is, hands down, the best. It’s filling, but whenever I make it, people always seem to take second (and third) helpings. I wish I could take credit for it, but it’s another one of the genius creations from French: The Secrets of Classic Cooking Made Easy. The other day, I thought it might be fun to switch it up a little with one of my favorite veggies, leeks. I love the pop of color it added and it’s a most delicious change of flavor from the traditional onions. Here’s the recipe:

For this recipe you will need:

1 9 in pastry crust
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced*
3 egg
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 oz Gruyère cheese, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

**The thing about leeks is they’re a big fat pain in the butt to clean. I’ve found that, rather than doing the whole flaying song and dance, it’s a hell of a lot easier just to remove and discard the dark green parts, slice the remaining part into ringlets, and rinse them in the colander or salad spinner. This is a much simpler way to clean the leeks thoroughly

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the base of the pastry crust and line with foil. Fill with baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans, brush the crust with mustard, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

In a frying pan, cook the bacon over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned.

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Pour off most of the fat from the pan, add the leeks, and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until soft.

Beat the eggs and cream together and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half the cheese over the pastry crust, spread the leeks over the cheese, and add the bacon, then top with the remaining cheese.

Pour on the egg mixture and bake for 35-45 minutes until set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.