Quiche made the right way

Back in 1982, Bruce Feirstein, a screenwriter and humorist whose credits include screenplays for the James Bond series and a brief stint as a writer for "Saturday Night Live," landed on The New York Times best-seller list and stayed there for more than a year with his tongue-in-cheek book, "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche."

The book was a satirical look at masculine stereotypes during an era when many men were confused about how to behave in the face of feminist calls for them to become more sensitive. Presumably by now most men have sorted out their feelings on the issue. But, alas, from a culinary standpoint, even though Feirstein later apologized for defaming the quiche, the damage the book did to the image of that classic French dish is ongoing.

As "The Oxford Companion to Food" points out, it was perhaps understandable the quiche developed the reputation of being unmanly because even when a bit of bacon was added to the original vegetarian version to create the archetypal quiche Lorraine, it still was not a very meaty dish. To make matters worse, quiche for a while became something of a fad and, like all fads, it ultimately went out of fashion. The result, as food writer Annette Gooch puts it, was that quiche became kitsch.

Thomas Keller, called "the most celebrated chef in all the land" by New York Magazine, argues this course of affairs has been most regrettable, primarily because, as a result, Americans never became acquainted with the real thing. As he observes in "Bouchon," one of his many $50 cookbooks, when it comes to quiche, "American culinary culture embraced it, then trashed it without ever knowing what it was. And now it's all but gone."

In an effort to correct the record and spur a comeback, "Bouchon" includes an entire chapter on quiche, and, indeed, the version promulgated there is much closer to the dish originally conceived centuries ago in, believe it or not, Germany, not France.

An authentic quiche must be made in a deep pan, either a springform version or one with a removable bottom like this one. (TOM HARTE)

Though the term "quiche" may have only come into widespread use at the beginning of the 19th century, the dish itself, according to the "Larousse Gastronomique," can be traced to the 16th century. It originated in the kingdom of Lothringen, then under German rule, but now the Lorraine region of France. In fact, the word "quiche" actually derives from the German word "kuchen" for cake. Originally quiche was made from bread dough, which is more "caky" than pastry dough, and in some parts of Germany you can still find it that way.

What distinguishes those early quiches and the ones still served, even in high-end restaurants all over France, from those served here in this country -- if they are served at all -- is their height or depth. Unlike American quiches, which are most often served in relatively shallow pie pans, they are a good two inches thick, which, as Keller explains, is the minimum depth required to get the right consistency of the custard filling, and that, he insists, is what makes for a great quiche.

"Custard is one of the great transformations of the egg," he tells us. Done right, it's what makes a real quiche the real deal, even for a real man.

Manly Quiche

This recipe, adapted from one by Tyler Florence on the Food Network website, is for those not afraid to man up in the kitchen. Make this for your guests and your masculinity will never be questioned.

Butter crust pastry (pâte brisée)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large Vidalia onions

3/4 pound smoked ham

8 eggs

4 cups heavy cream

* Roll out pastry and with it line bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan, pressing firmly.

* Slice onions and sauté in oil over medium-low heat until caramelized. Cube ham and add to onions, cooking while stirring for about 10 minutes

* Arrange onion and ham mixture over bottom of crust. Beat eggs until frothy, then whisk in cream, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

* Pour filling into pan. Cover loosely with foil.

* Bake at 375 degrees for 90 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer until quiche is puffy and set, but still jiggly. Cool 30 minutes before serving.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs at 8:49 a.m. Fridays on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0699.