Kate's Quiche Lorraine Souffle Style Extreme Variations

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 9 ounces plain flour
• 1/16 teaspoon salt (1 pinch)
• 4 1/2 ounces cold unsalted butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon)
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/8 cup ice water
• 5 -6 ounces bacon, cut in small pieces
• 1 tablespoon truffle oil
• 3/4-1 cup shallot, finely chopped (2-3 large shallots)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (half may be fat-free half-and-half if you must)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
• 6 ounces gruyere, shredded (may be put on top of shallots and cream reduced)
• 4 ounces chevre cheese (rolled in herbs ( sun-dried tomatoes, fresh dill, green onion, italian parsley, provincial herbs ( ) or 4 ounces goat cheese (rolled in herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh dill, green onion, italian parsley, provincial herbs ( )
• 4 ounces boursin with garlic and fines herbes, crumbled (may be substituted for 1/4 cup heavy cream in filling)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (as garnish)
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 14 1/2 ounces plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400 degrees f (200 c, or gas mark 6). butter glass deep-dish pie plate or 9-inch loose-bottomed flan tin.
• 2 pastry (if not using pillsbury refrigerated pie crust):.
• 3 sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (some people use a food processor.).
• 4 mix in the egg-yolk and sufficient iced water to bind the ingredients.
• 5 knead the dough lightly, and then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (cover the pastry with clingwrap).
• 6 stage 1 filling:.
• 7 let eggs come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
• 8 meanwhile, chop bacon into small pieces and cook over medium-low heat in 10-inch skillet until lightly browned. drain fat off.
• 9 meanwhile, chop shallots. heat truffle oil in 8-inch saute pan for 1 minute at medium heat, then saute shallots until lightly browned. do not drain.
• 10 optional piperade sauce:.
• 11 in a 9-inch skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over moderate heat for 1 minute.
• 12 add the onion, green pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. saute for 3 minutes until softened.
• 13 add garlic and tomatoes and saute 4-5 minutes longer or until the mixture is dry. transfer to a medium-size bowl and set aside.
• 14 stage 2 filling:.
• 15 separate eggs into 2 medium bowls.
• 16 in egg yolk bowl, add heavy cream (if choosing to add gruyere or boursin in filling, reduce heavy cream to 1 1/4 cups), nutmeg and pepper. (if choosing to add boursin in filling, add to cream mixture.) whisk until smooth.
• 17 in egg bowl, beat with electric beater until soft peaks form.
• 18 assemble quiche:.
• 19 if you made your own pie crust, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line a buttered 23cm/9 inch deep-dish glass pie plate or loose-bottomed flan tin. prick the base of the flan with a fork.
• 20 if using pillsbury pie crust that has come to room temperature, roll out carefully and line pie plate or flan tin. do not prick base of flan with fork.
• 21 sprinkle the cooked bacon pieces over the base of the pastry case.
• 22 spread the sauteed shallots evenly across the top of the bacon.
• 23 if including gruyere in filling, distribute it evenly across the top of the shallots.
• 24 carefully fold egg whites into egg yolk-cream mixture, then pour over solid ingredients already in pie plate.
• 25 bake in a pre-heated oven at 200c/400f/gas mark 6 for 30 minutes, or until set and golden brown.
• 26 garnish quiche:.
• 27 garnish the quiche with the toppings of your choice; i recommend keeping each garnish distinct. let stand for 10 minutes.
• 28 use sharp knife to slice into small wedges, this is very rich.