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CIA BISTROS AND BRASSERIES Recipes and Reflections on Classic Café Cooking by John W. Fischer and Lou Jones, the Culinary Institute of America Lebhar-Friedman July 2008 $29.95/hardcover Full-color photographs ISBN: 987-0-86730-924-0 Back to book information Printer-friendly page

Although "real" men supposedly don't eat quiche, they certainly make it. This dish comes from the Lorraine region near Alsace, an area famous for its dairy production. Some say that the onion in this dish turns it into a quiche Alsacienne. So be it. I just think it tastes good. While the Lorraine version is the most famous of this genre, many others exist, like the rapturous Tarte Flamiche on the preceding page.

3/4 pound Pâte Brisée,* blind-baked
5 slices smoked bacon
1/2 cup fine-dice yellow onion
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup shredded Swiss-type cheese (preferably Gruyère)
*For recipes and information about substitutions, see Fonds de Cuisine, page 175.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cook the bacon in a medium sauté pan on medium heat until crisp, and then drain it on paper towels, crumble, and reserve. Keep 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Sauté the onions in the bacon fat until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool to lukewarm.

Heat the cream over low heat until very hot (it isn't necessary to bring it to a full boil, but you should see plenty of steam rising from the surface, and probably some bubbles around the edges). Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until they're blended; pour on the cream and whisk until the cream and eggs are blended. (Mix gently; the custard mixture should not be frothy.) Stir in salt and pepper.

Scatter the bacon, onions, and cheese evenly over the cooked pie shell. Pour the custard mixture over the contents of the pie shell.

Carefully place the quiche onto a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and cook it for 30 minutes, or until the center is barely set. A 2-inch circle in the center of the quiche (think of it as the bull's-eye) should wiggle when you jiggle the tart.

Remove the quiche from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad.

Beverage: Alsace Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer can be too much for some food, but just stay away from the reserve and more expensive versions from Alsace, and they will have less intensity. So, Trimbach or Willm basic Gewurztraminer, or even one from New York, like the one from Lenz Vineyards on Long Island. Fresh and a little funky.