No other savory pie is more elegant than classic Quiche Lorraine. Get step-by-step instructions to make this elegant, rich, custardy French dish in your home kitchen. {Jump to Recipe}
I avoided making shortcrust pastry from scratch for years. I dreaded it even. I’d read advice from seasoned cooks who hammered on how important it is to have a good pie pastry recipe in your repertoire and insisted that it’s quick to master once you’ve practiced it a few times. Yet somehow, the art of the flaky crust had eluded me. No matter how hard I tried, something always went wrong. It felt like the pie gods had decided that I wouldn’t ever enjoy the pleasures of a deliciously flaky, perfectly golden homemade crust.
Because trying and failing at making shortcrust pastry was so frustrating, I eventually turned to store-bought crusts. I was happiest when we lived in Paris and I could buy the “Marie” brand: made with real butter, sold already rolled out, and large enough to fit fluted tart pans. It was my go-to solution to churn out delicious sweet and savory tarts and pies in a flash.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find good-quality, all-butter, ready-made shortcrust pastry back home, so I had to abandon my pie-making adventures for a while. After a couple years of no homemade quiches, tarts, and pies, I thought, Enough! If I’d mastered finicky things such as macarons and éclairs, surely I could learn to make simple, humble pie dough, right? I decided I’d tackle the task once and for all.
I went back to reference books and applied the years of recipe development and testing experience I had under my belt. I took notes of what worked best for me and tweaked my recipe until I got it down to a science. Now I can make shortcrust pastry in a flash, and the recipe never fails. Ever.
Mastering shortcrust pastry finally allowed me to resume making pies and savory tarts at home. I now have lots of pie and tart recipes up my sleeve, from Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie to Quiche Lorraine. If you too have struggled with making shortcrust pastry from scratch, I encourage you to try my foolproof shortcrust pastry recipe. It literally comes together in seconds in the food processor! I promise, it’s life-changing.
No other savory pie is more elegant and spectacular than classic Quiche Lorraine. Making that classic bistro dish at home allows me to travel back to Paris on a dime. Serving a generous slice of Quiche Lorraine with a lightly dressed green salad (and an optional glass of wine!) is as French as it gets. Today I’m happy to share my go-to recipe for this rustic French dish.
