Quiche Lorraine, the Guadeloupe Way

Quiche lorraine is French to the bone. But I grew up between two kitchens, the north of France and the warmth of Guadeloupe, and this is how the two meet on one plate.

The custard is classic: eggs, crème fraîche, Gruyère. What changes it is a few spoons of Full Feast Sauce Créole, which gives the whole thing a warm, amber colour and a gentle Caribbean depth. Green olives and roasted cherry tomatoes bring the island to the table. And instead of the traditional pork lardons, I use poultry lardons so it stays on the menu for everyone at the table.

This one is kitchen-tested and adjusted. Follow the pastry step carefully and you will get a crisp base every time.

Recipe at a glance

• Cuisine: French Caribbean (Guadeloupe)
• Prep: 20 minutes • Cook: 35 minutes • Rest: 10 minutes
• Serves: 6
• Featured sauce: Full Feast Caribbean Sauce Créole
• Heat level: Mild (gentle warmth — Sauce Créole sits at 1/5)
• Note: Pork-free by default

What you’ll need

• 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
• 200 g smoked chicken or turkey lardons (lardons volaille)
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 1 drizzle of oil, for frying
• 4 medium eggs
• 250 g crème fraîche (thick)
• 100 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 3.5 tbsp Full Feast Sauce Créole (adjusted to taste)
• 100 g Gruyère cheese, grated
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12 green olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 tsp dried basil (jarred)
• 1 tsp dried parsley (jarred)
• 5 whole peppercorns, freshly ground
• 0.3 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg

Method

1. Line and prick the puff pastry. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), conventional heat if possible for a crisper base. Line a 23cm tart tin with the puff pastry, letting it slightly overhang the edges (it will shrink a little during baking). Prick the entire base generously with a fork, including the corners.
2. Blind bake with weights — the key step. Cover the base with a scrunched sheet of baking paper (so it moulds to the shape), then fill with baking beans, rice, or dried pulses right up to the edge. This weight stops the pastry puffing up unevenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove weights and dry out the base. Carefully remove the beans and baking paper. If the centre has puffed up slightly, gently press it down with the back of a spoon. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes to fully dry out and lightly colour the base.
4. Poultry lardons, onion and dried herbs. Take the base out and let it cool slightly on a wire rack. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the lardons and onion for 6–8 minutes, until lightly golden and the onion is translucent — poultry lardons render less fat than pork, so the oil stops them catching. Off the heat, stir in the dried basil, dried parsley and freshly ground peppercorns, mix well, then drain on kitchen paper.
5. Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, crème fraîche, milk and Sauce Créole until smooth — the sauce should give the custard a warm, amber colour. Taste discreetly and adjust the Sauce Créole if needed. Stir in the salt and nutmeg.
6. Fill the base. Scatter half the Gruyère over the cooled base, then add the lardon, onion and herb mixture and the sliced green olives.
7. Assemble and top. Pour the custard over the filling. Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes, cut side up, on top, then scatter over the remaining Gruyère.
8. Bake the quiche. Reduce the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the filling is just set with a gentle wobble in the centre and the top is golden. Cover the pastry edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
9. Rest and serve. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chef’s notes

Pork-free by default. This uses smoked chicken or turkey lardons (lardons volaille) rather than traditional pork lardons, so it suits anyone who avoids pork for religious, dietary or personal reasons. They’re widely available pre-diced in UK supermarkets. Poultry renders less fat, so a small drizzle of oil stops them catching (see step 4). Prefer the classic? Swap in the same 200 g of smoked pork bacon lardons and omit the oil — pork renders its own fat.

Puff pastry tip — don’t skip the weights. Puff pastry rises much more than shortcrust during blind baking because of its buttery layers. Pricking alone isn’t enough — the baking beans over baking paper keep the base flat for the first 15 minutes. Without them the base puffs into large uneven bubbles and the filling leaks over the edges.

Kitchen-tested adjustments. Thick crème fraîche (250 g) replaces liquid cream — richer, and it sets a little better. Four medium eggs stand in for three large. Use dried herbs (about 1 tsp each) added off the heat so they don’t scorch and turn bitter. The nutmeg isn’t optional here — fixed at ½ tsp, it adds a subtle warmth that pairs with the Sauce Créole.

Sauce Créole adjustment. 3.5 tbsp gives good flavour balance without becoming spicy. Always taste the custard at step 5 and adjust to your liking.

Make it your own

For a heat-free version, swap the Sauce Créole for Full Feast Exotic Sauce. Avoid Hot Sauce and Herbal Sauce for this recipe.

Final word from me

Quiche should be generous. Cut it thick, serve it with a sharp green salad, and let the Sauce Créole do the quiet work in the background. This is Sunday food that happens to travel between two islands.

JP