Jacques Pépin's Quiche with Bacon

Gruyère cheese is something I rarely used prior to cooking with Jacques Pépin. However, Jacques' recipes favor Gruyère and I am ever so thankful for the push to experiment with this marvelous cheese. Gruyère is now my favorite cheese. Hands down!

Gruyère is sweet but slightly salty, with a somewhat nutty flavor, and it melts beautifully. I like it for snacking, grilled cheese, sauces such as bechamel, and as a topping for any gratin. I've been buying the real deal cave-aged Gruyère from Switzerland and it is pricey but it's flavor and melt-ability simply cannot be beat.

This bacon quiche is really more of a  Gruyère quiche. The five slices of crumbled bacon lend a hint of bacon flavor, but what you really taste in this quiche is the one and a half cups of diced Gruyère.  The Gruyère (and the bacon) settle to the bottom and create a bacony cheesy layer that is quite addicting! I was hoping for leftovers but we loved this so much we ate it in one setting!

Quiche with Bacon

Adapted from Essential Pepin

by Jacques Pépin

Serves 6-8

Dough

1-1-/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening

1/4 cup ice-cold water

Filling

4 large eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

5 slices bacon, cooked in a skillet until crisp and broken into pieces

1-1/2 cups diced Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

For the Dough: Combine the flour, salt, butter, and lard or shortening together in a food processor and process until you have a coarse mixture, about 10 seconds. Add the water and process for 5 seconds. Turn the dough out and gather together in a ball. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into an 11-or 12-in circle and use it to aline a 9- to 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom or a pie pan. Refrigerate until you are ready to fill the quiche shell.

For the Filling: Beat the eggs in a bowl only until well mixed. Stir in the milk, cream, and salt and pepper. Scatter the bacon and cheese over the dough. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and pour in the egg mixture. Bake for 1 hour,or until the filling is set and browned on top.  Remove from the oven rested for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

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