Alsatian Quiche

I am not really sure why I started calling htis quiche recipe Alsatian, only that I did.  It isn’t at all a fancy thing; good stick to your ribs food really.  With having our own chickens, quiche is not only an easy meal, it is a cheap one.

The first time I ever tried quiche I ws 17.  I took my boyfriend’s mom, who I adored, out to shop at a local, upscale mall.  She was from Europe and had not been in the states too long.  We went to a restaurant that I thought she would like and as we were reading the menu I asked her what quiche was.

Her eyes twinkled and she said , “Oh, try that Chick, you will love it.”

So I did, and I did love it.  When Marc and I married I could not cook a thing so I determined I would learn.  One of the first things I learned to make was quiche and I made it in enough varieties and enough ways that I think it was my signature dish for years.  I have made it with champagne, with olives, with leftover venison chili and nearly everything else you can imagine. It is just one of those dishes that you make the crust, throw some leftovers in, pour the filling over and bake.

Voila.  DInner.  Breakfast.  Brunch.  Lunch. Snack. Tea.

This particular quiche is filling because of the potatoes and bacon.  The potatoes create a new layer of texture and truly, this is one of my favorites.

Inevitably someone is going to ask me if you can use skim milk (shudder) and low fat cheese and egg substitute.  If you must, go ahead.  Personally I would rather eat a sliver with taste than a chunk of cardboard.  Do be aware that if you change the ingredients, especially the fat content, the flavor is going to be different.  I know the diet books tell you that it isn’t so, but they are crazy.

If you need a refresher on how to make pie dough click on the pie dough tutorial.

There really is no trick to good quiche.  Mix the eggs well, cook at a slow rate, don’t overcook, and serve promptly.

Alsatian Quiche

• 1 9 inch pie crust, with sides pinched a little higher than normal
• 1 cup of cheese: swiss, jack, cheddar, edam or what ever you have (I used mild cheddar and jack here)
• 8 sliced of peppered bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 6 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups half and half cream
• Salt to taste
• cracked black pepper (trust me) to taste

1. Saute bacon and onion in a pan until bacon is crisp and onion is tender.  Carefully reomove bacon and onion and reserve, leaving bacon drippings in the pan.
2. Fry the potato slices in the bacon until tender and they show golden brown color here and there.  Remove the potatoes to the crust, making a flat layer of the fried potato slices.
3. Cover with the bacon and onion.  Sprinkle with the cracked black pepper.
4. Cover with the cheese.
5. Mix the eggs, cream, and salt very well.  Pour carefully over the filling.
6. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour or until the egg is set.  Check by placing a knife about 1 inch from the center of the quiche.  The knife should come out clean.
7. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Quiche freezes well both in its baked and unbaked states.  If you plan to freeze this I suggest omitting the potatoes as they do not freeze well at all.
Serves 6

images:(c)Marye Audet 2009 All Rights Reserved