History

Quiche Lorraine originates in the Lorraine region of northeastern France, where it was a peasant tart of cream, eggs and smoked pork. The dish entered Parisian bistro menus in the early 20th century and standardised by the 1950s. The strict French version is eggs, cream and lardons only; the addition of cheese (Gruyère, Comté) is a Parisian deviation that the bistros now run alongside the canonical version. Polidor (founded 1845, in the 6e) plates a classical version; Boulangerie BO and Du Pain et des Idées both sell a slim slice at the lunchtime counter. The quiche is the cheapest hot lunch in the city and the easiest to do badly.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy, Pork

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • For the shortcrust: 250g plain flour
  • 5g fine sea salt
  • 125g cold unsalted butter (cubed)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 60ml ice-cold water
  • For the filling: 200g smoked pork lardons (or thick-cut smoked bacon, cut into 1cm batons), 4 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks, 300ml double cream, 100ml whole milk, 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Make the pastry: rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until breadcrumb texture (or pulse 8 to 10 times in a food processor).
  2. Add the yolk and ice water; bring together to a shaggy dough. Press into a flat disc; wrap; chill 30 minutes.
  3. Heat oven to 200°C. Roll the pastry to a 4mm thick round and line a 25cm fluted loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving overhang. Trim with a knife. Prick the base; chill 15 minutes.
  4. Line the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake blind 15 minutes; remove the beans and parchment; bake another 8 minutes until pale gold and dry. The shell must be fully cooked before the filling.
  5. While the shell bakes, fry the lardons in a dry pan over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes until rendered and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
  6. Whisk eggs, yolks, cream, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper to a smooth custard. Strain through a fine sieve to remove any albumen strands.
  7. Reduce oven to 160°C. Scatter the lardons in the cooled pastry shell. Pour the custard in; fill to just below the rim.
  8. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the centre is set with a slight wobble (the residual heat will finish the setting; an overbaked quiche weeps).
  9. Rest 15 minutes before unmoulding. Serve warm in slim wedges with a green salad dressed in mustard vinaigrette.

Tip from the editors. Blind-bake the shell fully before the filling; a wet base is the common mistake. The custard must wobble; fully set in the oven means overcooked on rest.

Where to eat quiche lorraine

Quiche Lorraine in Paris

Polidor ★ 3.9

French Bistro€€6eMon-Sun 12:00-22:30

Polidor in Paris has run a Latin-Quarter bistro at the same address since 1845. The carte still holds bœuf bourguignon, blanquette de veau, tarte tatin.

Signature: Bœuf bourguignon, Tarte tatin

Order: Bœuf bourguignon in winter, tarte tatin with crème fraîche, a pichet of red.

Tip: Cash preferred. The shared tables are part of the experience; come at 19:30 to share with strangers.

41 Rue Monsieur-le-Prince, 75006 Paris Book →

Du Pain et des Idées ★ 4.8

Bakery€Mon-Fri 07:15-20:00, closed weekendsWalk-in onlyLevain breads and laminated pastries

Christophe Vasseur's Du Pain et des Idées in Paris's 10e remains the boulangerie every other counter measures itself against. At 34 Rue Yves Toudic.

Tip: Closed weekends. Arrive before 09:00 for the pain des amis; escargots sell out by 13:00.

Worth the queue: Escargot pistache-chocolat

34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris

Boulangerie BO ★ 4.4

Bakery€Thu-Tue 07:30-20:00, closed WednesdayWalk-in onlyOrganic levain breads and Japanese-inflected viennoiserie

Boulangerie BO in Paris's 12e is Olivier Haustraete's listed-monument boulangerie by Marché d'Aligre, baking organic baguette tradition and Tokyo-honed.

Tip: The cherry-blossom Mont Blanc in spring is the seasonal pick; the baguette tradition is the everyday order.

Worth the queue: Baguette tradition

85 bis Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris

Mamiche ★ 4.5

Bakery€Tue-Sat 07:30-20:00Walk-in onlySourdough breads and babka

Mamiche in Paris's 9e is the Cécile Khayat and Victoria Effantin counter that brought New York-Israeli babka to Pigalle. Open tue-sat 07:30-20:00.

Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Order ahead by phone for a whole babka loaf to take home.

Worth the queue: Cinnamon babka

45 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris

Stohrer ★ 4.4

Bakery€Daily 07:30-20:30Walk-in onlyHistoric patisserie

Stohrer in Paris is the city's oldest patisserie, founded in 1730 by Nicolas Stohrer who served Marie Leszczyńska at Versailles. Open daily 07:30-20:30.

Tip: The original puits d'amour and the baba travel well. The whipped-cream cake is best in shop.

Worth the queue: Baba au rhum

51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris

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