Quiche Guide

History of the Appearance

Quiche is a popular pie in French cuisine. It was considered the food of the poor, who didn’t care much for its composition and made a filling out of whatever was in the house. But over time it was served as a snack.

Quiche first appeared in the 16th century. It was served as a starter (an appetizer before the main course) along with a salad, always warm or at room temperature, as long as it was crispy. The French don’t serve it for breakfast but Americans eat it at any meal time.

The preparation of sweet and savoury dishes with eggs, cheese and spices in special moulds goes back to very ancient times.

Culinary historians claim that the modern version of quiche has its origins in France. Lorraine is French for quiche, which is why it is called Lorraine quiche. Lorraine is French, which is why the quiche is called Lorraine.

In medieval times, the area was known as the Germanic kingdom. The region of Lorraine has been the object of conquest between the French and the Germans for centuries. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly which country the quiche belongs to.

In this regard, there is a division into two subspecies of the dish –

● quiche Lauren or Lorraine pie (French version)

● Alsace quiche (German version).

However, most culinary historians argue that the origin of quiche came from the Germans. The French word ‘quiche’ most likely came from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake.

The pie itself came about thanks to the frugality and ingenuity of German chefs. They did not want to throw away the dough left over from making bread. So they used them to make the base of the pie. The filling was ham, eggs and cream. This was the first Lothringer Kuchen.

The French also liked this kind of cake.  Only they replaced the bread dough with puff pastry or shortbread. They called it Quiche Lorrainé in their own way. It is an open dough-based pie with a filling of eggs, cream cheese and smoked bacon (gruyere cheese was added later). It was baked in a round mould with a wavy edge.

The first documented mention of quiche Lorena is found in Philippe de Rarecourt’s book of expenses in 1586. He was the maitre d’ of Duke Charles III of Lorraine, who was a fan of the dish. The composition of this Lorraine pie was similar to that of the Neapolitan pizza or the tarte flambée popular in Belgium and Alsace. The quiche was made from thinly-rolled yeast dough and filled with a mixture of double cream, beaten eggs and bacon.

The Polish King Stanislaus Leszczynski, who ruled Lorraine until 1766, was a connoisseur of quiche Lorraine. There is a theory that it was his court chef Vincent de la Chapelle who gave the famous quiche its modern shape. He replaced the simple yeast dough with chopped sand pâte brisée. Later, Lorraine became part of the French kingdom and quiche was added to the list of French cuisine.

Another wave of popularity for Lauren’s quiche came in the 1950s in America. The American soldiers who liberated Paris liked the taste of the quiche and the dish became famous in their lands. Fatty bacon was replaced by dietary salmon, spinach, leeks and broccoli.

Distribution

Quiche gradually spread across Europe by the end of the 19th century. Different variations of pie fillings appeared: with blue cheese, spinach and salmon, with mushrooms, with vegetables alone, ham, chicken, fish, even seafood, etc.

Options have emerged:

● German – with onions and bacon, but without cheese;

● Swiss – must have cream and Gruyere cheese;

● Mediterranean – with sun-dried tomatoes, aubergines and herbs.

Quiche Lauren has been and is seen around the world as a pastry with little meat. Its popularity dates back to the 1960s and 1970s in the USA. It was served everywhere, with completely different fillings, and even a dessert quiche was invented. This is how the famous phrase “real men don’t eat quiche” was coined in US society in the 1980s. It meant – don’t chase a trend, go for the classics.

Today there are a great many recipes. For example, quiche with broccoli and asparagus, with mussels, corn and leeks, with mushrooms, spinach and beans.

Rules for Preparing Quiche:

● Use a 20 cm mould diameter, for baking in a 25 cm mould add half the amount of food.

● The pie is open, so bake it like a pizza: 15 to 30 minutes at high temperature in the oven.

● Quiche is always prepared in the same shape – use a round one with wavy edges.

● The eggs in the filling give shape and viscosity to the egg and cream mixture. The more filling you have, the fewer eggs you put in.

● Any filling vegetables you add must first be heat-treated: stew, boil or roast. This does not apply to tomatoes or asparagus sprouts.

● For real quiche – use smoked ham and gruyere without fail.

● Fill the filling with a mixture consisting of beaten eggs with cream or milk.

● The appearance of the dish will depend on the quality of the cream. In the finished quiche, it should shimmer like custard.

Ingredients and Types of Pie

Quiche comes in meat or poultry, fish, seafood and vegetarian versions.

A hearty quiche is added to the mix:

● spinach,

● leeks,

● mushrooms,

● olives,

● rosemary,

● beans,

● aubergines,

● broccoli,

● bell peppers.

The cheese complement also comes in a variety of forms – goat or sheep cheese, bryndza, ricotta, feta and tofu.

The sweet dessert quiche is baked with:

● berries,

● fruit,

With cottage cheese,

● pumpkin,

● Almond shavings.

Nourishing pies are eaten hot or warm. Dessert pies can also be eaten cold.

A portioned version of the mini quiche – a vegetable pie on chopped shortbread dough. It’s based on rice and cornmeal, with a minimum of oil and lots of vegetables. A light Greek touch is given by the presence of olives and feta cheese. Serve with a green salad or horiatiki (Greek salad).

Quiche Lauren

The classic version is the quiche called lorraine. The quiche lorraine or quiche loran is also called ‘Lorraine pie’. In the original French recipe, local ingredients known around the world are a must: eggs, bacon, cream cheese. Later on, the famous Gruyere cheese, with its spicy, nutty flavour, was added to the classic ingredients. The real quiche was baked only with bread dough, but today a crispy shortbread dough or aromatic puff pastry is used.

The pie recipe has changed and been supplemented over time. In Germany, for example, it is enjoyed without cheese but with onions and bacon, and the Swiss recipe cannot be imagined without cream and gruyere.

The most delicious French pie is considered a classic recipe – with smoked or roast chicken, which makes the quiche lorraine particularly flavourful and tender. The traditional filling is perfectly complemented by mushrooms and broccoli. The fragrant pieces of chicken, roasted mushrooms and vitamin-filled broccoli combined with the cheesy melted cheese is a real treat. The crispy shortbread pastry, flavoured with a pinch of nutmeg, perfectly fills the dish with a bouquet of flavours.

A characteristic feature of the pie is that the dough is kneaded without sugar or yeast. It is unsweetened, does not rise and does not interfere with the flavour of the filling.

For the modern Quiche Lorraine, the dough can be made with sour cream or cottage cheese and the eggs can be replaced with a little sugar.

Quiche Lauren’s tasty lifehacks:

● To make the shortbread dough crispy, leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours and then roll it out.

● Do not knead the dough for too long – it will become stiff as the butter melts.

● Roll out the dough into the moulds with a margin so that the edges hang down slightly from the sides. Cut the edges off and form a neat basket.

● To keep the shape of the basket, fill the bottom with peas or beans and prick the pastry in several places with a fork, then bake.

● Use double cream for the filling so that you get a delicate soufflé when you bake.

● The vegetables for the quiche filling should be slightly undercooked and crunchy – they will be cooked to perfection in the baking process.

Method of Preparation:

1. Cut the butter into coarse crumbs with a knife, mix with the flour, add the soured cream and a little salt.

2. Allow the dough to proof for 30 minutes.
3. Preparing the filling:
4. Chop the mushrooms and fry them in a dry frying pan without oil: all the liquid should run out.
5. Cut the fillets into pieces, fry in vegetable oil and season with salt.
6. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
7. Whisk the cream and eggs thoroughly.
8. Prepare the roasting tin.
9. Shape the dough into a cake base. Bake at 200°C (39.2℉) for about 7 minutes.
10. Place the filling: mushrooms, meat and cheese. Mix everything up and add the filling.
11. Put the cake into the oven for 15 minutes.
12. Check that it is ready with a skewer.

Sprinkle the finished Lauren quiche with fresh chopped dill.

Freezing

Quiche can be baked, refrigerated – and frozen. It’s very handy if you haven’t had time to make dinner or if friends come over unexpectedly. You always have a delicious meal ready to go. But you can’t defrost the quiche. Preheat the oven to 180℃ ( 356℉ ) and put the quiche in for 20-30 minutes.

Recipes Ideas

1. Quiche with spinach and bacon

A simple recipe for a custard tart. Puff pastry with a creamy egg filling, topped with vegetables, salted bacon or ham and some cheese is a culinary delight. The perfect dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Spinach will brighten up your pie with a beautiful green hue and give it a juicy touch.

2. Quiche Lorraine

A classic French dish. The rich, creamy base is flavoured with bacon and cheese, held together by crisp, buttery pastry. All the flavours work perfectly together. To keep the bottom of the pie from getting soggy – bake it blind. Blind baking or roasting – cook the pie crust first and then add the filling.

3. Crustless quiche with garden vegetables

A gluten-free, dairy-free dish. The pie is filled with the fresh summer flavours of vegetables. A dietary and vegetarian dish. There are no complicated ingredients in the recipe. The quiche comes with a fresh basil flavour, juicy tomatoes, eggs and plenty of herbs.

4. Quiche with goat cheese

A lovely version of a pie. Nutritious and tender at the same time. Cold and hot, extraordinarily flavourful and with a crispy crust. What better way to start the day or for a delicious snack.

5. Quiche with smoked salmon and leeks

A shortbread pastry with a terrific combination of smoked salmon and leek flavours. In this recipe, the cream has been replaced by cottage cheese. Prepare the leeks for the filling separately first. The filling will turn out moist, so bake the dough blind.

6. Courgette pie, tomato and goat cheese

This pie is simple and delicious. The flavour of goat’s cheese is more pronounced when eaten cold. You can use puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. To prevent the vegetables from damaging the bottom of the pie with their moisture, grease the pie with unwhisked egg white and bake for 5 minutes so that it becomes watertight. Then add the mustard, breadcrumbs and the rest of the ingredients.

7. Mini quiche with 4 types of fillings

Mini quiche is a beautiful dish for the festive table and a great option to please any guest. You can use custard, puff pastry or shortbread dough. Four different quiche fillings. Each one is nutritious and hearty, with a mouth-watering flavour.

8. Curry pie with tuna and pepper sauce

Quiche with a fish filling and a tangy, spicy flavour. Tender tuna, fragrant peppers and all topped with sour cream. A very nutritious and beautiful-looking pie. It will become one of your favourite dishes.

9. Puff pastry quiche with broccoli, ham and cheese

A quick and easy custard tart made with broccoli, ham and Swiss cheese. All the ingredients are quick and easy to make. The puff pastry is ready-made or you can make your own. Add a handful of dill, garlic or fresh thyme if you like herb-flavoured dishes.

10. Caprese quiche

The most wonderful summer breakfast option. Quiche is filled with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese. It can be made quickly and easily. All the ingredients are simple and accessible. The mozzarella cheese adds a touch of tenderness to the filling. And the summer flavour makes for a huge appetite.

11. Carrot coconut and cumin curry with custard

The sweetness of carrots and coconut milk, the aroma of spices, the crisp and delicious dough. An unusual combination of ingredients. You can use cashew puree and caraway seeds, peanut or sesame puree in this quiche, play with spices: curry, turmeric, herbs, oregano, etc. All this will enhance the incredible flavour of the pie.

12. Summer asparagus with custard

This custard tart is colourful and delicious. With tangy asparagus, a little garlic and fresh lemon. The perfect complementing of the ingredients with the flavours of each other, creating an extraordinary quiche flavour. A delicate and light filling.

13. Seafood and mushroom pie

Seafood quiche with mushrooms. You could say it’s a classic combination of ingredients. An interesting mix of seafood and mushrooms in a creamy sauce. The pie comes out nutritious and not caloric. And the beautiful presentation makes a nice addition to any table.

14. Cheddar corn cake

A simple quiche with corn and a delicate filling. It is garnished with cilantro, sour cream and salsa. It can also be served with lettuce or fresh sliced tomatoes. It also makes an excellent garnish to ham.

15. Fig and goat cheese pie

A delicious recipe for quiche with figs and goat cheese. Can be enjoyed as an appetizer or as a main course. The filling combines sweet and savoury flavours. You will definitely love this quiche.

16. Quiche with cherry cream

No cream at all. Honey yoghurt is the base for this cake. The custard becomes easy to bake and healthy. The slight sourness from the cherries blends beautifully with the delicate creamy filling.