Recipe

Country Quiche Lorraine

A favorite dish from a historic Nashville bed and breakfast

Photo: Danielle Atkins


“Quiche immediately makes me think of Easter with Phila,” writes Carter Hach in the recently published Hachland Hill Cookbook, which chronicles the life and recipes of his grandmother Phila Hach, a renowned Southern chef. “Whether it was brunch or dinner, she would always serve some sort of quiche as a starting course to round out the already sure-to-be-huge meal. I love her quiche lorraine recipe, which I adapted to reflect some regional influence by way of country ham.” 

Hach, who serves as the executive chef of the Nashville B&B Hachland Hill, recommends adding a little extra hot sauce on top “to bring the dish home.”


Ingredients

  • Country Quiche Lorraine (Yield: 8 servings)

  • FOR THE BUTTER PASTRY:

    • 1½ cups pastry flour

    • ½ tsp. salt

    • 1 stick unsalted butter

    • 4 tbsp. ice water

  • FOR THE FILLING:

    • 1 cup grated swiss cheese

    • 4 eggs

    • 2 cups heavy cream

    • 1 tbsp. cornstarch

    • Pinch of salt

    • ¼ tsp. garlic powder

    • Dash of cayenne

    • 1 tsp. chopped yellow onion

    • ½ cup finely diced cooked country ham

  • For the Garnish:

    • Cherry tomatoes, halved

    • Wild chives

    • Hot sauce


Preparation

  1. Make the pastry: Combine the flour, salt, and unsalted butter in a food processor until it just starts to resemble a crumb-like texture. Add the iced water through the tube of the processor and pulse until dough comes together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. When ready to fill, roll dough out and place in a pie pan. Crimp edges along sides of pan with your fingers to your liking or use a fork and press down along the edges for an easy fix.

  2. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine cheese, eggs, cream, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, onion, and ham, whisking together until incorporated. Pour filling into the prepared pie shell. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges and garnish with cherry tomatoes and chopped chives. Serve with hot sauce on the side.

Reprinted with permission from The Hachland Hill Cookbook: The Recipes and Legacy of Phila Hach, by Carter Hach, published by Blue Hills Press. Text and photographs © 2022 Blue Hills Press.


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