Quiche Lorraine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

The Quiche Lorraine Pie Shell:

Prepare your piecrust by separating one egg. Throw away the white and whip up the yolk with a fork. Brush the bottom and inside of your piecrust. Prick it all over with a fork and bake it for 5 minutes. Take it out and let it cool on a wire rack or a cold stovetop while you mix up the custard. If "bubbles" have formed in the crust, immediate prick them with the fork to let out the steam

The Quiche Lorraine Custard:

5 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Combine the eggs with the cream and whisk them (or beat them with an electric mixer) until they’re a uniform color. When they’re thoroughly mixed, pour them into a pitcher and set it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the rest of your quiche. You may notice that you’re not adding any salt. pepper, or other seasoning at this point. You’ll do that when you assemble the quiche.

The Quiche Lorraine Filling

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (approximately 7 ounces)***

1 cup diced,weIl-cooked and drained bacon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional-use if you like it a bit spicy)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best, of course)

*** if you can't find gruyere, use really sharp white cheddar and that’ll be fine. And if you can’t find white cheddar, use really sharp yellow cheddar.

Sprinkle the grated cheese in the bottom of your cooled pie shell. Then, spread the cup of diced bacon on top of the cheese. Sprinkle on the salt, and grind the pepper over the top of the bacon. Sprinkle on the cayenne pepper (if you decided to use it). Grate the nutmeg over the top.

Put a drip pan under your pie plate. This will catch any spills that might occur when you fill your quiche with the custard mixture.

Take your custard mixture out of the refrigerator and give it a good whisk. Then pour it over the top of your Quiche Lorraine, filling it about half way.

Open your oven, pull out the rack, and set your pie plate and drip pan on it. Pour in more custard mixture, stopping a quarter-inch short of the rim. Carefully push in the rack, and shut the oven door.

Bake your Quiche Lorraine at 350 degrees E, for 60 minutes. or until the top is nicely browned and a knife inserted one-inch from the center comes out clean.

Let your quiche cool for 15 to 30 minutes on a cold stovetop or a wire rack, and then cut and serve.