Gordon Ramsay’s bacon and leek quiche from Ultimate Cookery Course is crispy pancetta lardons and soft leeks in a homemade shortcrust case, bound with a Gruyère custard and baked until golden and just set. It serves 2 and takes about an hour, with 20 minutes of that just the pastry resting in the fridge.
On the YouTube video he explains his filling ratio: “I want two-thirds garnish, i.e. bacon and leeks in my quiche, and one-third of the savoury custard.” That means the leeks and pancetta fill most of the case, with just enough egg to hold them together. The custard itself is only 4 eggs and 4 tablespoons of cream, which is far less cream than you will find in almost any other quiche recipe.
Cook the leeks down before they go anywhere near the pastry. On the video he waits until they are “almost sort of caramelised, slightly crispy” and drains them to remove excess fat. Raw leeks release water as the quiche bakes, and that water soaks into the base from underneath, which is the one thing you cannot rescue once it has happened.
Gordon Ramsay Bacon and Leek Quiche Recipe
Course: BreakfastCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Medium2
servings30
minutes35
minutes520
kcal1 hr 5 min
Ramsay’s leek and pancetta quiche from the make-ahead chapter in UCC. He writes that quiches “are often better the next day, once the custard has had a chance to set properly and the flavours to mingle.” Roll the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and push it into the corners with a small ball of leftover dough.
Ingredients
- For the shortcrust pastry:
200g (7 oz / 1⅔ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
100g (3½ oz) butter, at room temperature, cubed
- For the filling:
200g (7 oz) pancetta lardons
Olive oil, for frying
2 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped
4 eggs
4 tbsp double cream
100g (3½ oz / 1 cup) Gruyère cheese, finely grated
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the pastry: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water. Knead lightly into a smooth ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
- Line the tin: Roll the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin (3mm) on a floured surface. Line a 25cm (10 inch) oiled loose-bottomed tart tin, pushing into the corners with a small ball of leftover pastry. Leave excess overhanging. Prick the base with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Blind bake: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F / Gas 6). Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove paper and beans, bake 5 to 8 minutes more until golden. Trim excess pastry with a sharp knife.
- Cook the filling: Fry the pancetta in a little oil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until almost crisp. Add the leeks and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and cooked through. Drain off excess fat.
- Build the custard: Beat the eggs and cream together. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in three-quarters of the Gruyère and the leek mixture. Add the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Bake: Pour into the pastry case. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and set. Cool slightly before serving.
FAQs
Can I use bacon instead of pancetta?
Yes. On the YouTube video Ramsay says “a great substitute is unsmoked bacon.” Pancetta is Italian cured belly pork seasoned with juniper and nutmeg, so it renders more fat and goes crisper than British bacon. If you use bacon, choose unsmoked back and cut it into lardons yourself, because smoked bacon overpowers the leeks.
The lardons need to be almost crisp before the leeks go in. If they are still soft, they steam inside the custard instead of giving you those salty, crunchy bites that make the quiche worth eating.
Which shortcrust pastry ratio does Ramsay use?
Three different ratios across three books. The UCC quiche recipe calls for 200g flour to 100g butter (2:1). On the YouTube video for the same quiche he doubles the butter to 200g (1:1), giving a richer, more crumbly case. In Sunday Lunch he uses 225g flour to 140g cold butter (about 1.6:1) with ice cold water.
The 2:1 ratio from the book is the safest for beginners because it rolls without cracking. The 1:1 from the video makes a shorter, more buttery pastry that tastes better but is harder to handle. The beef empanadas from UCC use puff pastry instead, which is a completely different approach if you want flaky rather than short.
Is Gordon Ramsay’s quiche the same as quiche Lorraine?
No. Traditional Lorraine uses bacon, eggs and cream with no cheese and no vegetables. Ramsay adds leeks, Gruyère and fresh parsley, which makes it closer to a quiche Alsacienne. The custard base of eggs and cream is the same, so if you want a Lorraine, leave out the leeks and parsley and skip the cheese.
Mary Berry’s quiche Lorraine uses a full 275ml of double cream to 3 eggs. Ramsay uses 4 tablespoons of cream to 4 eggs. Hers is silkier and richer. His is lighter and lets the filling lead, which is why he insists on the two-thirds ratio.
Can I make Gordon Ramsay’s quiche without pastry?
Pour the filling into an oiled ovenproof dish and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 to 30 minutes until set. Without the case it bakes slower because the dish is deeper. The result is closer to a frittata than a quiche, but the flavour is the same.
If you want a proper crustless egg dish, Ramsay’s omelette from Ultimate Home Cooking uses the same egg and cheese combination in a frying pan, finished under the grill. Faster, no oven needed, and the Gruyère melts the same way.
Does Gordon Ramsay make a spinach quiche?
Not a quiche, but in Uncharted he makes a spinach, feta and pine nut tart using the same shortcrust technique. The filling swaps the custard for wilted spinach, crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts, so it is lighter and sharper than a traditional egg-based quiche.
If you want a spinach version of this recipe, swap the leeks and pancetta for 200g of cooked, squeezed spinach and 100g of crumbled feta. Keep the eggs, cream and Gruyère the same. Ramsay’s boiled eggs with anchovy soldiers make a good side for a lighter brunch alongside a slice of either version.
Whose idea was it to intersperse each section of the recipe with toenail fungus ads ? Yuk
Hi Suzy, honestly? Fair. I don’t pick the ads, the network does, and it apparently thinks fungal cream pairs well with quiche. I’ve blocked the whole health ads category today, it should clear in a day or two. Thanks for telling me instead of just leaving.