Les Mini-Quiches Sans Pâte Façon Lorraine
(lay mee-nee-keesh sahn paht fah-sohn loh-ren)
L'Apéro Dînatoire: The Casual Friday Gathering
This isn't a delicate pastry project. If you want to know what modern French families actually eat when friends pop over on a Friday at 6 p.m., they skip the arduous pastry crust entirely, whisking a spoonful of flour straight into the custard instead. Baked in a standard 12-cup muffin tin, these mini-quiches deliver all the deep, smoky soul of a traditional Lorraine—heavy cream, sharp Gruyère, deli-counter ham, and a whisper of nutmeg—so grease the tin, pour the batter, and go pull a cork while the Gruyère bubbles.
Before you start
Grate the Gruyère fresh from the block.
Never use pre-shredded bagged cheese; it's coated in cellulose and anti-caking agents that will ruin the silky texture of the custard.
Ingredients
- thick-cut smoked bacon6 oz
- Swiss Gruyère cheese1/2 cup
- eggs3 large
- whole milk1/2 cup
- heavy cream1/2 cup
- all-purpose flour2 tbsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- nutmeg1/8 tsp
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously grease a standard 12-cup metal muffin tin with the softened butter.
- 02
Place the bacon matchsticks in a cold skillet over medium heat.
Starting in a cold pan helps the fat render out slowly. Cook until the fat has rendered and the edges turn golden, about 5 to 7 minutes, but do not let them get shatteringly crisp.
- 03
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly on a paper-towel-lined plate.
Do not skip this step. If undrained bacon goes into the muffin tin, the mini-quiches will weep grease and become hopelessly heavy.
- 04
Distribute the drained bacon and grated Gruyère evenly among the empty cups of the prepared muffin tin.
- 05
In a large pitcher or mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs, milk, heavy cream, flour, black pepper, and nutmeg.
Whisk until the flour is completely dissolved and the mixture is frothy.
- 06
Carefully pour the liquid custard over the bacon and cheese, filling each cup about three-quarters full.
Bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They are done when the tops are deeply golden brown and puffed up like miniature soufflés.
- 07
Let the quiches rest in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before gently popping them out with a butter knife.
They will immediately deflate when pulled from the oven—don't panic, this is the natural behavior of a flour-stabilized custard as its protein structure sets.
Notes
Hold the salt.
Between the cured bacon and the sharp Gruyère, there is plenty of natural salinity. A traditionalist wouldn't dare add more salt to this batter, and neither should you.
From Cook French in America.