French Recipes

Makes a 8" to 9" Tart

Preparation of the Pastry Dough (Pâte Brisée)

1. Make pastry dough and roll out to a circle about 1/8" thick and 11" or 12" across
2. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8" to 9" false-bottomed quiche or cake pan no more than 1-1/4" deep.
3. Roll the pastry over the pin and unroll it over the pan, or drape the pastry over the rolling pin, lift it up and unfold it over the pan. Gently press the pastry into the bottom and around the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it.
4. Roll the pin over the rim of the pan, pressing down hard to trim off the excess pastry.
5. With a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry all over, trying not to pierce all the way through. Chill for 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To keep the bottom of the pastry from puffing up, spread a sheet of buttered aluminum foil across the pan and press it gently into the edges to support the sides of the pastry as it bakes.
7. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the foil.
8. Prick the pastry again, then return it to the oven for 3 minutes or until it starts to shrink from the sides of the pan and begins to brown.
9. Remove it from the oven and set it on a wire cake rack to cool.

Ingredients for the Cheese Custard Filling:

• 1 teaspoon of butter
• 6 slices of lean bacon, cut in 1/4" pieces
• 2 eggs plus 2 extra egg yolks
• 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• pinch of white pepper
• 3/4 cup of grated imported Swiss cheese or Swiss and freshly grated Parmesan cheese combined
• 2 tablespoons of butter, cut in tiny pieces

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a heavy 8" to 10" skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, cook the bacon until it is lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels
3. With a wire whisk, rotary or electric beater, beat the eggs, extra egg yolks, cream and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the grated cheese.
4. Place the cooled pastry shell on a baking sheet. Scatter the bacon over the bottom of the shell and gently ladle the egg-cheese custard into it, being sure the custard does not come within 1/8" of the rim of the shell.
5. Sprinkle the top with dots of butter and bake in the upper third of the oven for 25 minutes or until the custard has puffed and browned and a knife inserted in the center, comes out clean.
6. To remove the quiche from the pan, set the pan on a large jar or coffee can and slip down the outside rim. Run a long metal spatula under the quiche to make sure it isn’t stuck to the bottom of the pan, then slide the quiche onto a heated platter.

To serve:

Serve hot or warm.