Savory Custards: The Quiche

The quiche (a French version of the German Kuchen, “little cake”) can be thought of either as a savory custard or a close relative of the omelet. It is a pie-shaped mixture of eggs and cream or milk that contains small pieces of a vegetable, meat, or cheese. To make it firm enough to be cut into wedges for serving, a quiche normally contains 2 whole eggs per cup/250 ml of liquid, and is baked unprotected by a water bath, either alone or in a precooked crust. The Italian frittata and Egyptian eggah are similar preparations that omit any milk or cream.