I don’t mind telling you that every since bacon became the hottest thing since sliced bread, I have felt left out. When I agreed not to have pork in my house many years ago as a way to bridge the gap between my heathen upbringing and the kosher home my husband grew up in, I did not know that bacon would become the darling of cooks everywhere. I did not know that bacon would start showing up in desserts for heaven’s sake.
So many times I have flipped past recipes in my cookbooks and food magazines because the first ingredient listed is bacon. But no more! I am very excited because I have recently discovered a new bacon substitute made with beef that cooks up like regular bacon and has a terrific, sweet-smoky flavor that is almost like pastrami. (Pastrami = smoked meat deliciousness.)
The product is called Schmacon and the company that makes it has just launched a Kickstarter to help ramp up their production for the retail market. (Right now, it’s mostly available in restaurants.) Not only is Schmacon pork-free, but it is lower in calories and fat than regular bacon. And it is so much better than turkey bacon and the other substitutes out there.
Schmacon crisps up like regular bacon.
My family first tried Schmacon on its own alongside a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs. Everyone was into it. But I was not ready to stop there. As far as I was concerned, the real benefit to me of Schmacon was as a substitute for bacon in recipes. My mind started racing, thinking of all the classic recipes that include bacon that I have never made.
One of the first dishes that came to mind was Quiche Lorraine, that French bistro classic traditionally made with bacon lardons, gruyère and onion. (The “Lorraine” in the name does not refer to a woman, by the way. Rather, it is a reference to the region that this quiche comes from: the Loire Valley.) I could not wait to try a version with Schmacon. Instead of gruyère or Swiss cheese, I used Cabot Creamery Alpine Cheddar from the Farmer’s Legacy Collection because I always have a lot of Cabot cheese on hand and its nutty, smooth flavor is the perfect complement to the smoky Schmacon and sweet onion.
I usually make quiches in a pie plate but in this case, opted to bake the quiche in a cake pan, which is deeper. A deeper pan allows for more luxurious custard and makes it harder to overcook the quiche. Do not be alarmed by the number of eggs and the amount of milk in this recipe either: this quiche will feed a crowd.
Sure, quiche requires multiple steps. But, you can make quiche in advance of when you plan to serve it which makes it awfully convenient for entertaining, especially entertaining at brunch. Make the quiche the day before and sleep in! As Michael Ruhlman says, quiche deserves to be a staple in American kitchens. It can be made a day or more before serving and works for any meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I made this quiche on a weekend so I could try it out and photograph for my loyal readers. Then I wrapped it up and served it for dinner the next day. Quiche Lorraine with Schmacon! It was what’s for dinner at my house.
Thanks to the good folks who make Schmacon for making it possible for me to bring this bistro dish to my pork-free home. If you are interested in trying Schmacon yourself, the best way right now is to back the Kickstarter and get some shipped to your door as a reward. I’ve already pledged my support.
- 7 ounces cold, unsalted butter
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 8 slices Schmacon (or bacon)
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup grated Cabot Creamery Alpine Cheddar
- 5 large eggs
- 20 oz whole milk
- Pinch nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cut the butter into small cubes and place half of the cubes in the freezer. Return the other half to the refrigerator until needed.
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the chilled butter from the refrigerator to the dry ingredients and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add the frozen butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter is in small but still visible pieces.
- Combine the lemon juice and ice water and add six tablespoons of the mixture to the ingredients in the food processor. Pulse several times until combined. Pinch a bit of the dough and if it holds together, you do not need to add more liquid. If it is still dry, add more of the liquid, one-half tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough to a bowl or a well-floured board.
- Knead the dough until it forms a ball. Divide the dough into two and wrap each half well in plastic wrap. Place half the dough in the refrigerator to relax for at least a half-hour. (Can be done in advance.) Reserve the other half for another use.
- If your dough was chilled for longer than thirty minutes, remove from the refrigerator and allow to soften for ten to fifteen minutes before rolling it out.
- Prior to rolling out the dough, strike it with your rolling pin to flatten. This will soften it further.
- Preheat the oven to 375 and grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan.
- Liberally dust a pastry board or mat and your rolling pin with flour.
- Roll the dough out, rotating it and turning it frequently and adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, until it is the size of your pie plate and between ¼ and ⅛ of an inch thick.
- Carefully center the pie dough in the pan and press it into the bottom and sides. Trim or fold over any excess dough around the edges and make a nice edge by pressing the tines of a fork to create ridges. Prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork to prevent blistering.
- Blind bake the crust by covering it with parchment paper and filling with pie weights or raw rice. Bake for twenty minutes, then remove the parchment paper and pie weight and bake an additional five minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely before filling.
- Turn oven down to 325.
- Meanwhile, cook the Schmacon or bacon in a skillet until crisp and drain on paper towels. Chop into pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet and sauté the onions over medium heat until softened and golden, about fifteen minutes.
- Place the pieces of Schmacon (or bacon) and the onion in the bottom of the baked quiche crust. Top with half the grated cheese.
- Whisk together the eggs and milk in a large bowl until frothy. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bacon and onion. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake the quiche until the middle is golden and set but still with a little jiggle to it, about 75-90 minutes.
- Allow the quiche to cool before slicing.
Full disclosure time: I received a complimentary package of Schmacon for review purposes. I have not received any compensation from the makers of Schmacon nor was this post sponsored by that company or any other.
Excellent! I make quiche frequently (with our farm fresh eggs) – and as soon as our order of Schmacon arrives this month, I’m going to try this out! An awesome recipe!
I love the idea of a “deep dish quiche”! And this one looks lovely, so rich and flavorful. Beautiful photos, too.