Quiche: The Recipes

Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup cold water.

Mix the flour and 1 scant teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until just mixed.(Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.) Make a well in the center of the mixture, pour in 1/2 cup cold water, and incorporate it into the mixture with the fingers until it is just moistened. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before continuing.

Quiche Lorraine (Bacon and Cheese Tart):
Traditional Recipe

1 tart dough recipe (see above)
6 ounces bacon (preferably mild smoked), cut crosswise in 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon butter 3 eggs
11/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 pound Swiss Gruyère, grated
Salt
Pepper
Pinch nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough and line a buttered 10-inch tart pan, bringing the edges of the pastry up to extend slightly beyond the edge. Top the dough with parchment paper. Fill it with dried beans as a weight. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove the beans (they can be reused for this purpose) and discard the parchment paper. Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees. Blanch the bacon for 5 minutes in boiling water, remove, and pat dry. Then sauté the bacon over low heat with the butter. Spread the bacon and the grated cheese in the prebaked tart. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly and mix in the cream. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour this mixture gently over the bacon and cheese. Bake the quiche for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown and set. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving warm. Serves 6 to 8.

Alsatian Onion Quiche (Alsatian Ziwelawaïa):

1 tart dough recipe (see above)
2 tablespoons lard (or butter)
1 pound onions, peeled and chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pepper, fresh ground
Grated nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the lard or butter in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onions until they are slightly browned and tender. Remove the skillet from the heat. In small bowl, beat the egg and cream together. Add this to the onions. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Roll out the dough, and line a 10-inch pie tin or tart pan with it. Fill with the onion and egg mixture. Bake for 25 minutes, until the filling is golden brown and set, and serve hot. Serves 5 to 6.

Tourte de Poisson à la Bière (Fish Quiche in Beer Custard):

1 tart dough recipe (see above)
1 pound fillet of sole
1 pound fillet of salmon
3 eggs
1 can of beer (12 ounces)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
4 ounces heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley.

Preheat oven to preheated 325 degrees. Roll out the dough and line a 10-inch pie tin with the rolled out pastry. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Line the pan with parchment paper. Fill it with dried beans as a weight. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove the beans (they can be reused for this purpose) and discard the parchment paper. Leave the oven on. Bring half of the beer to a boil. Salt and pepper the fish fillets and put them in the boiling beer. Bring to a boil again and remove and set aside fillets. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cream, the remaining beer and the herbs. In the pot over high heat, bring almost to a boil, then turn off heat. Drain the fillets well and put them carefully in the prebaked tart. Pour the egg and beer mixture over the fish. Bake the tourte for about 25 minutes, until filling is set. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving warm. Serves 6 to 8.