Quiche Lorraine

I first made this last summer but I hadn't gotten around to making it again until I thought it would be a good thing to make for tea this week. I'm definitely glad I did as well! The recipe seems a bit long but you can buy ready-made pastry or even make it the night before to save a bit of time. I really love the tomatoes in this recipe as well, they bring an extra sweetness to the quiche which gives it a bit of an edge over other quiches. 

I used mature cheese in mine which meant it is extremely cheesy, so if you aren't as much of a fan of cheese as I am, then I'd suggest using a milder cheese. I also sprinkled a bit of extra cheese on top but this isn't a necessity, just personal choice! 

This is perfect hot or cold; I had some for tea then had leftovers for lunch the next day and it was just as good. I also managed to make 2 small versions with the leftover pastry and filling! 

To make the smaller ones, I just used the left-over pastry with some 10cm tart tins then placed a tomato on top instead of in the pastry case. This is definitely something you can enjoy hot for your tea or cold for a lunch snack.

Ingredients

Pastry:-

175g plain flour

75g butter

Pinch of salt

Cold water

Filling:-

250g cheddar cheese

2 tomatoes

200g bacon

5 eggs

150ml milk

150ml double cream

Salt

Pepper

Recipe

1) Sift the flour with the salt in a large bowl, then rub in the butter to produce a breadcrumb texture.

2) Add enough cold water to bring the mixture together into a firm dough then allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3) Roll out the pastry on a floured surface then place in a 22cm buttered flan dish.

4) Chill the pastry again and preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5.

5) Remove the pastry from the fridge and line with baking parchment and baking beans.

6) Bake blind for 20 minutes then remove the beads and parchment and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

7) Sprinkle most of the cheese into the pastry base then add the sliced tomatoes.

8) Fry the bacon pieces until crispy then sprinkle onto the tomatoes.

9) Combine the eggs, milk and cream in a bowl and season well.

10) Add the remaining cheese into the mixture then pour over the bacon and cheese.

11) Bake for 40 minutes then remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.