Mary Berry is a British food writer, chef and TV presenter, and she makes an excellent quiche lorraine! Made with tasty bacon, onions, eggs, cream and cheese, the proportions are perfect. There's a crisp, flaky, buttery crust and a thin but rich layer of delicious filling. Follow my step-by-step guide to making your own Mary Berry quiche complete with homemade pastry and you'll never buy store-bought again.
175gramsplain flour(all-purpose) plus a little extra for rolling
85gramsbutterchopped into small cubes straight from the fridge
3tablespoonscold water
For the filling
170gramsbaconchopped into small pieces (Mary suggests 'unsmoked streaky bacon' which is on the fattier side - for flavour - but I usually go for smoked bacon but leaner. In the USA, 'thick cut bacon' or even pancetta will work.)
1onion
a little oil for cooking
125gramsgruyère cheeseslightly 'nutty' Swiss gruyère is lovely, but mature cheddar, parmesan, or another kind of cheese also works well
2largeeggs
250mlsingle creamUS = 'light' cream or pouring cream (if you like you can substitute around a third of this with full fat milk)
First, make the pastry. If you have a food processor, pulse the flour and cold butter together for a few seconds until you have what looks like fine breadcrumbs. Then add the water and pulse again until a ball of pastry forms. Add a bit more flour if a ball doesn't form easily and bring it into a ball with your hands. (Alternatively, make the dough the traditional way by rubbing the cold cubes of butter into the flour with your fingertips in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and ‘stir’ in with a knife, then bring the pastry together with your hands.)
Roll out the pastry (with a little extra flour to stop sticking). Then use it to line a roughly 8 to 9 inch-diameter quiche pan (a metal one with a loose bottom is best).
Trim the pastry around the edge of the pan with a sharp knife, then chill for at least half an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F. Prick the pastry case all over the base, then blind bake it. To do this, line it with baking paper and baking weights, rice or beans (this is to stop it puffing up) for 10 minutes. Then remove the paper and weights and bake for another 10 minutes until golden.
Turn the oven down to 180C/355F. While the pastry is cooling a little, heat up a little oil in a pan and fry the bacon for 10 minutes until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and spread out over the bottom of the pastry case.
170 grams bacon, a little oil for cooking
Fry the onions for 10 minutes in the same pan as you cooked the bacon in. Then add them to the tart case. Finally, sprinkle over the cheese.
Whisk the eggs and the cream together, then grind in a little salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry case (make sure you put the tin onto a baking tray first) then bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the quiche is golden and just set. Be careful not to overcook. Serve while warm.
2 large eggs, 250 ml single cream, salt & pepper
Notes
Thanks to: Recipe from Mary Berry's Cookery Course: A Step-By-Step Masterclass In Home Cooking. Thank you, Mary – what a beautiful quiche!Pastry: If you have a food processor, this is by far the quickest and easiest way to make it. Chill the pastry case before blind baking. If your pastry cracks while blind baking, just 'patch up' with a little flour mixed with water and bake for 2 minutes until set. Filling: Mary suggests to use 'unsmoked streaky bacon' but I prefer a leaner smoked bacon. Also, the recipe uses 'single cream' (light or pouring cream), but double/heavy/thickened cream works, too. If using thicker cream I'd consider replacing around a third with full cream/whole milk. Cooking time: Mary's recipe states 25 to 30 minutes but I find my quiche is sometimes done after just 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it from 20 minutes. The centre should be just set, so still a little jiggly. You don't want to overcook it. How to serve: Simply, with a simple side salad, a baked potato and coleslaw, or just on its own for a party, picnic or lunch box treat. How to store: This quiche will keep well covered in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, just bake again at around 160C/320F for 15 to 20 minutes until hot again. Or air fry for around 5 minutes. Freezing instructions: You can either freeze the quiche unbaked (blind bake the pastry, add the filling and freeze until solid. Then wrap well in cling film and aluminium foil for up to 3 months). Bake from frozen at 200C/390F for around 40 to 45 minutes. OR freeze cooked (either whole or leftover slices). Reheat from frozen for around 30 to 40 minutes (less time if it's slices so check from around 20 minutes).