Rustic Lamb Quiche Lorraine

Quiche is a crowd-pleasing dish for a weekend brunch, or special gathering where a few extra people might be at the table. It takes a little effort beforehand, but pays dividends for the cook since it can be baked ahead, reheated gently before serving, or even set out for a buffet at room temperature. And, who doesn’t love a homemade, flaky pastry filled with soft, tender custard?

Quiche variations are limited only by your imagination, but one stands above the rest: Quiche Lorraine, the classic filled with a tender custard, smoked bacon, and rich alpine cheese. Chef Bergo, whose family is French-Canadian, makes his quiche in a shallow tart pan, the same way his family made it, and how he remembers eating it in France, with one difference: he substitutes our delicious lamb (or goat) bacon for pork.

Besides being delicious, this recipe is a great example of how to use our grass-fed lamb or goat bacon in it’s slab/chunk form. Where typical bacon is usually sold in thin slices, having a block of un-cut bacon gives more freedom for the cook, and means the bacon can be cut into rich, meaty chunks, instead of small crumbles. If you prefer, we also offer sliced bacon, but Chef Bergo prefers the uncut form. For a great, lamb or goat-centric variation, if you can find goat or sheeps milk at your local coop or grocery store, it makes a great addition for all or part of the cream.

This recipe is by chef Alan Bergo. A chef from Minnesota, Alan is a veteran of the culinary industry, former executive chef of acclaimed Lucia’s Restaurant, and the Salt Cellar. Founder of the website Forager Chef, he’s best known as a respected authority on Midwestern foraging. Learn more about Alan and his hunt for mushrooms, wild and obscure foods at Forager Chef. 

How to Make Lamb Quiche Step by Step

The recipe is easy to make if you’re familiar with blind-baking a quiche crust. First the crust is rolled out, then it’s pierced all over with a fork. The crust is covered with foil, then lentils or other pie weights and baked until light golden. The lamb bacon is gently browned in a pan and placed in the crust. Finally a custard is poured over the top and the quiche is baked until just cooked through. The images below illustrate the process.

More French Lamb Recipes

Confit Lamb

Lamb Rillettes

Pan Seared Goat Chops with Herb Butter