Waking up has been hard lately. I'm missing home like crazy. Work is overwhelming on repeat. Time for enjoyment and laziness is scarce. Mustering enough energy and spirit to open my eyes has been an ordeal.

This quiche certainly helps motivate me a little. The lovely Mademoiselle Khoo inspired this creation. If you haven't had the pleasure of following Rachel Khoo, s'il vous plait, do yourself a favor and google her right now. Her life story is incredible.


I was afraid that the recipe would produce something too eggy, but it somehow came together beautifully. And with no cheese! You can't imagine how difficult it was for me to refrain from adding any cheese. I had some luscious cheeses in my refrigerator, and I always use cheese in my quiches.  However, I tamped down on my urges because Rachel insists that it ain't Quiche Lorraine if you add anything else other than ham.  Wise words, friends, wise words because this quiche was the closest thing to come out of my oven as the little savory pillows of custard and pastry that I used to get after class in Clermont-Ferrand.




Look at the flakes of the crust! 

Quiche Lorraine
(Adapted from Rachel Khoo's video linked above)

Your favorite single pie crust, unbaked
1 egg white
Approx 1/4 pound of thickly sliced Black Forest Ham
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
Salt
Pepper

Place a rack into the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F.
Roll out and fit the pie crust into a pie tin. Brush the crust with egg white to seal the crust and prevent it from getting too soggy. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Coarsely chop the ham into small cubes. Gently heat the ham to dry it out a bit. Spread it into the chilled pie crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and heavy cream until smooth. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Pour the egg mix over the ham.

Bake the quiche for about 30-40 minutes, until the top has some goldening and springs back lightly when pressed. Cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.