A traditional Lorraine is just eggs, cream and bacon -- no cheese. It's worth knowing, because most versions you'll meet in the UK add it anyway.
Ingredients
- 1 shortcrust pastry case (homemade or shop-bought), in a 20cm tin
- 150g bacon lardons
- 3 large eggs
- 300ml double cream (or half cream, half milk)
- A little grated nutmeg
- Black pepper (go easy on salt -- the bacon adds plenty)
- Optional: 75g grated Gruyère or mature cheddar
Method
- Blind-bake the pastry case: line with baking paper and baking beans, bake at 180°C (Gas 4) for about 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes until the base is dry.
- Fry the lardons in a dry pan until golden, then drain on kitchen paper.
- Whisk the eggs and cream together with the nutmeg and pepper.
- Scatter the bacon (and cheese, if using) over the base of the pastry case, then pour over the egg mixture.
- Bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, until just set with a slight wobble in the centre -- it will firm up as it cools.
- Rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Freshness note: slightly older eggs, well within their best-before date, are perfectly fine for baking like this. Freshness matters most for eggs eaten raw or barely cooked, less so once they're baked into a set custard. More in our storage guide.
Related reading
Want a crustless version that's harder to get wrong? See our frittata. See all egg recipes.