Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraineis a savoury Frenchtartwith a filling of cream, eggs, and bacon or ham, in an open pastry case. It was little known outside the French region ofLorraineuntil the mid-20th century. As its popularity spread, nationally and internationally, the addition of cheese became commonplace, although it has been criticised as inauthentic. It may be served hot, warm or cold.
According toLarousse Gastronomique,quiches(sometimes spelled kiches) originated in the eastern French regionLorraine. The name may derive from the GermanKuchen, a term used for similar dishes.There aremany varietiesof quiche, and Larousse comments that every region ofAlsaceand Lorraine has its own and maintains it is the only authentic version of the dish.Originally a quiche Lorraine was baked with a bread-dough case similar to that now used forpissaladièresandpizzas,but in modern versions,shortcrustorpuff pastryis generally used.The dish dates to the 16th century,but until well into the 20th century it was little known outside its region of origin, and was as seldom seen in Paris as in foreign countries.
The classic ingredients for the filling are eggs, thick cream, and ham or bacon (in strips orlardons), made into a savourycustard.Elizabeth Davidin herFrench Provincial Cooking(1960) andSimone Beck,Louisette BertholleandJulia Childin theirMastering the Art of French Cooking(1961) excluded cheese from their recipes for quiche Lorraine,and David in particular was scornful of cooks and manufacturers who added it. She considered they did so for reasons of cost and convenience rather than taste: a classic quiche Lorraine, with only a cream, egg and bacon filling, is "quite tricky to get right".
David placed the responsibility for the inauthentic addition of cheese with Parisian chefs. In 1870Jules Goufféintroduced a version to which he addedParmesan,and in 1903Auguste Escoffierrecommended lining the pastry case with bacon and strips ofGruyèrebefore adding the cream and egg mixture.Attempts were made to restore the simplicity of the original dish: in 1901Le Figaroprinted a recipe that excluded not only cheese but also bacon,and in 1904André Theurietand a fellow native of Lorraine, Edmond Richardin, published another recipe that included neither bacon nor cheese,but in 1932Marcel Boulestin, a highly influential restaurateur and writer, specified the addition of grated Gruyère,and by the 1950s the use of cheese had become commonplace as the popularity of quiche Lorraine grew.David cited a London cookery school where the students were taught to useevaporated milkandprocessed Cheddarfor their fillings.La Mère Brazier's standard recipe for the dish excluded cheese, but she thought variations permissible, "replac[ing] the lardons and the ham with a layer of slicedRoquefort... or with thin slices of goose or duck liver and fresh truffle".
Among some recent versions of the dish,Anne-Sophie Pic's addsComté,andDelia Smith's adds bothCheddarand Parmesan.No cheese is used in the versions byLindsey Bareham,Felicity Cloake,Alain Ducasse,Simon Hopkinson,Thomas KellerandDan Lepard.Ready-made quiches Lorraines sold in supermarkets in France, Britain and the US typically contain cheese – usuallyEmmentalor similar, although British versions often contain Cheddar.
The dish may be served hot, warm or cold.