Tom Keller's Quiche Lorraine (Bouchon Bakery)

Bouchon
Quiche Lorraine

Single serving of the quiche Lorraine

Cooks note: I copied this recipe from the CBS website. The recipe is identical to what is in the Bouchon cookbook. I highly recommend purchasing the cookbook as Tom Keller's cookbooks are so instructive. Quiche is an important topic to Chef Keller. There are 11 pages dedicated in the cookbook to making the perfect quiche and detailed explanation for the importance of each step.

The pictures were taken by me.

Suggested order of operations:
1. Turn your oven on to 375.
2. Make the pie dough and get back in the refrigerator for one hour.
3. Slice your onions for the cofit, make your bouquet garni and get the onions on the stove as they take 2 hours.
4. Cut up your bacon and roast at 375 for the specified time.
5. Roll out your pie dough and form carefully into the 9 inch ring as described below.
6. par cook the pie dough, remove the pie weights and continue to cook the shell. Be careful to repair any cracks so your custard doesn't leak.
7. Combine onion confit and bacon plus thyme as described below and rewarm in skillet.
8. Make your quiche batter (you can do full batch in Vitamix). Turn oven down to 325.
9. Place half of the confit/bacon into the bottom of the cooked pie shell and add half of the batter.
10. Place the second half of the onion confit/bacon mix into the pie shell and add batter the the top of the pie.
11. Bake the quiche and allow to come to room temp prior to refrigerating overnight.
12. Remove excess crust from the top of the quiche and remove quiche from the ring as described below.
13. Slice quiche while cold and rewarm in a 375 oven for 15 minutes and prepare yourself for what I think is one amazing quiche.

Bacon and Onion Quiche - Quiche Lorraine

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound slab bacon, cut into lardons about 1 1/2 inches long and 3/8 inch thick

2 cups Onion Confit (see below)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chopped thyme 

1/2 cup grated Comté or Emmentaler cheese

Basic Quiche Shell (see below)

Basic Quiche Batter (see below)

Canola oil

Directions:

Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 deg. F. 

Spread the bacon on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it has rendered its fat; the bacon will not be crisp at this point. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 deg. F.

Combine the onion confit and bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and thyme, then stir together until warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Scatter 1/4 cup of the cheese and half the onion mixture evenly into the cooled quiche shell (still on the baking sheet). Blend the quiche batter again to aerate it, then pour in enough of the batter to cover the ingredients and fill the quiche shell approximately halfway. Top the batter with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the remaining onion mixture. Blend the remaining batter and fill the quiche shell all the way to the top. (If you don't have a very steady hand, you might spill some of the batter on the way to the oven; fill the shell most of the way, then pour the final amount of batter on top once the quiche is on the oven rack.) 

Bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until the top of the quiche is browned and the custard is set when the pan is jiggled. Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool to room temperature on a rack. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 day, or up to 3 days.

Once the quiche is thoroughly chilled, using a metal bench scraper or a sharp knife, scrape away the excess crust from the top edge. Tilt the ring on its side, with the bottom of the quiche facing you, and run a small paring knife between the crust and the ring to release the quiche. Set the quiche down and carefully lift off the ring. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve: Preheat the oven to 375 deg.F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper. 

Using a long serrated knife and supporting the sides of the crust, carefully cut through the edge of the crust in a sawing motion. Switch to a long slicing knife and cut through the custard and bottom crust. Repeat, cutting the quiche into 8 pieces. Place the pieces on the baking sheet and reheat for 15 minutes, or until hot throughout. To check, insert a metal skewer into the quiche for several seconds and then touch the skewer to your lip to test the temperature of the quiche.

Basic Quiche Shell

Makes enough for one 9-inch quiche

In this pate brisée dough, it's crucial that the butter be completely incorporated, with no visible specks remaining. Although pieces of butter will make a dough flaky, they would leave holes in the quiche crust and the batter would leak out. Save the dough trimmings to repair any cracks. This crust is a little thicker than some: You want the custard to set before it soaks all the way through. Also, as the quiche chills, moisture from the custard will weep into the crust. If the crust is too thin, it will become soggy rather than crisp.

Ingredients (Pie Shell)

2 cups (about 12 ounces) all-purpose flour, sifted, plus additional flour for rolling

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces chilled unsalted butter, cut into »-inch pieces

1/4 cup ice water

Canola oil

Directions (Pie Shell)

Place 1 cup of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the butter a small handful at a time. When all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and mix until the butter is completely blended with the flour. Reduce the speed, add the remaining flour, and mix just to combine. Add the water and mix until incorporated. The dough will come around the paddle and should feel smooth, not sticky, to the touch.

Remove the dough from the mixer and check to be certain that there are no visible pieces of butter remaining; if necessary, return the dough to the mixer and mix briefly again. Pat the dough into a 7- to 8-inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to a day. (If the dough does not rest, it will shrink as it bakes.)

Lightly brush the inside of a 9-by-2-inch-hgh ring mold with canola oil and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Place the dough on a floured work surface and rub on all sides with flour. Flatten it into a larger circle using a rolling pin or the heel of your hand. Roll the rolling pin back and forth across the dough a few times, then turn it 90 degrees and roll again. Continue to turn and roll until the dough is 3/16 inch thick and about 14 inches in diameter. (If the kitchen is hot and the dough has become very soft, move it to a baking sheet and refrigerate for a few minutes.

To lift the dough into the ring, place the rolling pin across the dough about one-quarter of the way up from the bottom edge, fold the bottom edge of dough up and over the pin, and roll the dough up on the rolling pin. Lift the dough on the pin, hold it over the top edge of the ring and unroll the dough over the mold, centering it. Carefully lower the dough into the ring, pressing it gently against the sides and into the bottom corners of the ring. Trim any dough that extends more than an inch over the sides of the mold and reserve the scraps. Fold the excess dough over against the outside of the ring. (Preparing the quiche shell this way will prevent it from shrinking down the sides as it bakes. The excess dough will be removed after the quiche is baked.) Carefully check for any cracks or holes in the dough, and patch with the reserved dough as necessary. Place in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 20 minutes to resolidify the butter. Reserve the remaining dough scraps.

Put a rack set in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 deg.F.

Line the quiche shell with a 16-inch round of parchment. Fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans, gently guiding the weights into the corners of the shell and filling the shell completely. 

Bake the shell for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the edges of the dough are lightly browned but the bottom is still light in color. 

Carefully remove the parchment and weights. Check the dough for any new cracks or holes and patch with the thin pieces of the reserved dough if necessary. Return the shell to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottom is a rich golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the shell to cool completely on the baking sheet. Once again, check the dough for any cracks or holes, and patch if necessary before filling with the quiche batter.

Basic Quiche Batter

Makes enough for one 9-inch quiche: 8 servings

Using a blender aerates the batter and makes a very light quiche. The directions here are for a standard-size blender. However, the ingredients can be combined in one batch if you use an immersion blender or a large-capacity professional blender. Be sure to reblend the batter for a few seconds before pouring each layer of the quiche.

There may be a little excess batter, depending on how much air is incorporated into the batter as it is blended. The quiche may sink slightly as it bakes, so check it after about twenty minutes and, if there is room, you can add a bit more of the batter to the top. Any remaining batter can be baked in custard cups.

The quiche needs to be thoroughly chilled before it's cut, so make your quiche at least a day, or up to three days, before serving it.

Ingredients (Batter)

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

6 gratings fresh nutmeg

Directions (Batter)

Combine the milk and cream in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until scalded (meaning a skin begins to form on the surface). Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes before continuing. 

Put 3 eggs, half the milk and cream mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, and 3 gratings of nutmeg in a blender and blend in low speed for a few seconds to combine the ingredients. Increase the speed to high and blend for 30 seconds to minute, or until the batter is light and foamy.

This is the first layer of the quiche. Once you have assembled it, add the remaining ingredients to the blender and repeat the process to complete the quiche.

Onion Confit

Makes 2 3/4 cups

Onion confit is simply onions cooked very slowly in a little water and butter to bring out all the onions' sweetness without coloring them. It can be used in all kinds of dishes--from fish to potatoes and green vegetables to quiche.

Ingredients (Onion Confit)

About 2 1/2 pounds (2 to 3 large) Spanish onions

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Bouquet Garni

Directions (Onion Confit)

Cut off the tops and bottoms of the onions and cut the onions lengthwise in half. Remove the peel and outer layers. Cut a V wedge in the bottom of each half to remove the core and pull out any solid flat pieces from the center.

Lay and onion half cut side down on a cutting board with the root end toward you. There are lines on the outside of the onion; cut along these lines (the grain) rather than against them to help the onions soften more quickly. Holding the knife almost parallel to the board, slice the onion lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, following the lines of the onion. Once you cut past the center of the onion, the knife angle will become awkward: Flip the onion onto its side (toward the knife), return the knife to the original position, and finish cutting the onion. Separate the slices of onion, trimming away any root sections that are still attached. Repeat with the remaining onions. (You should have about 8 cups of onions.)

Warm 1/4 cup of water in a large pot over low heat. Add the butter and whisky gently to melt. Add the onions, salt, and bouquet garni, stir to combine, and place a parchment lid on top, pressing it against the onions. Cook very slowly, stirring the onions every 20 to 30 minutes at first, more often toward the end of cooking, for about 2 hours. The onions will wilt and steam will rise, but they should not brown.

Check the onions after about 30 minutes: If they seem lost in the pot, transfer to a smaller pot and cut down the parchment lid to fit. If there is a lot of liquid remaining at this point, you can turn up the heat slightly to cook a bit more rapidly. 

After about 2 hours, the onions will have softened but should not be falling apart; there still may be liquid left in the pot. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Let the onions cool in their liquid.

Transfer the onions, with their liquid, to a plastic container and refrigerate for up to a week. Drain the confit before using. 

Bouquet Garni

Makes 1

For out standard bouquet garni, we use leek greens as a wrapper to hold the herbs and spices. We use a bouquet garni for seasoning when the broth or other liquid will be strained. When the liquid will not be strained, we wrap the ingredients in cheesecloth instead, making a sachet that keeps the spices from falling into the liquid and can easily be removed at the end of cooking.

Ingredients

2 or 3 pieces dark green out leek leaves (6 to 7 inches long), washed 

8 thyme sprigs

2 Italian parsley sprigs

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Directions

To make a bouquet garni: Lay out 1 leek green. Place the herbs and peppercorns on top and wrap in the remaining leaf or leaves to form a circular bundle; tie securely with kitchen twine in at least three spots.