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Mile High Quiche Lorraine

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Hello spring! Hello friends!

If you’re celebrating Easter this weekend I have a very special brunch dish for you. And if you’re not celebrating a holiday, call your friends and neighbors! It’s a good time to hang together.

Massachusetts, and my town of Lexington in particular, is about to undergo a massive parade day on Saturday. The three-cornered hats, pipes, bagpipes, and ladies dressed in long, colorless colonial dresses will be out in full force. It’s a yearly ritual times a thousand this weekend, since Massachusetts will celebrate its 250th year.

So far, 2025 feels about the same age as Massachusetts, but I leave it to you to infer what I mean by that.

Meanwhile, it’s spring! and the spring rituals have started. You don’t need me to tell you about the state of the world. I’m here to encourage you to gather your friends and family around the table. No need for any specific reason, except maybe for this gorgeous centerpiece of a quiche.

Back when we were all still living what passed for our regular lives, before COVID, a friend and I drove to Vermont to meet up with another friend for lunch at Piecemeal Pies in White River Junction. Along with adorable little English-style meat pies, the place served a tall slice of quiche du jour with a salad.

The impressive height of their large pies intrigued me, and I set about trying to more or less duplicate one. This is my Lorraine version of their tall, creamy quiche, baked in a springform pan with meaty strips of bacon, Gruyere, and onion. Its height makes it regal and party-worthy for a brunch or a supper buffet. Because of its depth (the filling takes six eggs and 3 cups of cream), this quiche takes longer to make than a traditional savory pie, but it's mostly hands-off time.

Start with a generous amount of buttery food-processor dough that stands up well in a deep pan. It's more than you need but ensures that you won't have to fiddle too much with getting it into the pan. After you roll it out, freeze the dough in the pan to help it keep its shape, and then pre-bake it filled with pie weights or dried beans. A long pre-baking yields a well-cooked crust without a hint of sogginess. (You can cut up the extra dough and sprinkle the pieces with cinnamon-sugar; bake these sweet nibbles at 375 degrees for 8 minutes, or until golden.)

While the crust bakes, make the custard filling in a blender. A small amount of flour in the filling keeps it from weeping; it dissolves in the blender, and the custard is easy to pour into the pie. Check the quiche after it has baked for about 45 minutes and cover it loosely with foil to keep the top from turning too dark. Finally, let it rest and settle for at least two hours before slicing. It's worth the wait for those mile-high slices.

Mile High Quiche Lorraine Recipe