French · Authentic-ish French
Quiche Lorraine
265 kcal a serving, against 362 for the traditional version. That is 97 kcal off, or 27%, with 8g of protein. Serves 8. 1 hour 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A deep shell of buttery shortcrust pastry, baked blind until perfectly crisp. The filling is a thick, heavy mixture of double cream, whole eggs and an enormous pile of fatty smoked lardons. As it bakes, the pork fat bleeds straight into the cream, creating an incredibly dense, velvety custard with a golden skin on top.
What changed, and what each change costs
300g of double cream for half-fat creme fraiche
Double cream makes the custard rich but incredibly heavy. Half-fat creme fraiche provides the necessary dairy tang and moisture without the staggering volume of fat.
What it costs you. The custard sets a little firmer and loses that ridiculously silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture that only pure cream delivers.
Dropping yolks for extra egg whites
Whole eggs bring a lot of fat in the yolks. I use 2 whole eggs for colour and flavour, then bulk out the volume with pure egg whites to bind the tart together.
What it costs you. The filling looks slightly paler. It lacks the deep yellow hue and the custard tastes a bit less rich.
200g of lardons down to 70g
A traditional quiche is absolutely packed with pork. I cut it back sharply. You still get the smoky hits of meat, but they act as a seasoning rather than the main event.
What it costs you. You won't get a chunk of bacon in every single bite. You have to hunt for them.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 362 | 265 |
| Protein | 10.7g | 8g |
| Fat | 29g | 18.8g |
| Saturated fat | 17.2g | 11.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.1g | 16.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.9g | 3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish French prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk, eggs.
The method is in the book
What you've got is a sturdy, deeply satisfying tart that holds its shape beautifully on the plate. A fragile, trembling restaurant custard is a different dish and you know where to find it. Keeping the real pastry was absolutely the right call. The buttery, flaky crust does all the heavy lifting, making you forget that the filling has been stripped right back. The creme fraiche adds a slight tang that cuts right through the rich pork, and it makes for a brilliant lunch that won't leave you feeling sluggish for the rest of the day. Serve it with a sharp green salad.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback