Cauliflower Crust Quiche Lorraine

OK, I'm just gonna say it before someone else does “I am a liar. A Big. Fat. Liar!”
There, I said it.
Just two months ago I was telling you guys I had peaked at the cauliflower crust thing, that the cauliflower noodle lasagna was the last act of a heroic saga involving cauliflower used as the base for pizza, grilled cheese, breadstick, et cetera.
Yet, here I am today, posting another recipe labeled “cauliflower crust”
So yeah. What.A.Liar.

But you see, the other night the Mighty French Culinary Gods appeared in my dreams and ordered me to create something French with cauliflower crust.
Of course, they said in French, so it went something like “Tu dois créer quelque chose avec de la croûte de chou-fleur, compris?” [And before you say it, no, I was neither drunk nor high, mmmkay?]
Since I am nothing but a humble servant, I had to fulfill the Gods will.
I mean, if the Mighty French Culinary Gods command you to cook something, would you refuse?
Yeah, I don’t think so.
I decided to make Quiche Lorraine, because Quiche Lorraine is French, French, French, oh-so-French.
Quiche Lorraine wears a beret, a blue and white striped shirt, has moustaches, smokes cigarettes, and answers “Oui, oui” when addressed. [Vive les stereotypes!]
So French, I knew for a fact the Mighty French Culinary Gods would be pleased.

If you’re not familiar, Quiche Lorraine is an open pie with a filling of custard with smoked bacon (or lardons), cheese, cream and eggs.
Classic Quiche Lorraine is delicious, but it has a LOT of calories. Definitely not a diet food.
This one is different though.
The cauliflower crust is amazingly good and amazingly low in calories. Not to mention full of cauliflower goodness.
You can definitely indulge in bacon and cream for once.
If you do not eat meat and do not want to put the bacon in it, it is technically no longer Quiche Lorraine, or maybe it is bacon-less Quiche Lorraine. No worries. The cream, eggs and cheese make a delicious custard center, with or without the bacon.
However, do not sub the cream with milk, if you do so instead of a custard you’ll get a solid lump of scrambled egg.
I love me a good frittata, but if I want quiche I make quiche not frittata.
Then again this version of Quiche Lorraine has four full servings of cauliflower.
So why worry?

Cauliflower Crust Quiche Lorraine                                                             Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 6

Cauliflower crust

1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (should yield 3 cups of cauliflower rice)
½ cup / 2 oz / 50 gr grated Parmesan cheese
1 large free-range organic egg
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Filling

½ lb / 230 gr bacon, diced
½ cup / 125 ml heavy cream (or creme fraiche), at room temperature
½ cup / 125 ml milk, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (or good quality Cheddar cheese)
¼ teaspoon fine grain salt
Pinch of ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F (220°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Line a 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper and grease it. Set aside.
In a food processor rice the cauliflower florets (it should be evenly chopped but not completely pulverized).
Transfer cauliflower rice (about 3 cups) to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 8 minutes, until cooked.
Place the cauliflower rice in a tea towel and twist it to squeeze as much moisture as you can (I usually squeeze out over a cup of liquid). This is very important. The cauliflower rice needs to be dry, otherwise you’ll end up with mushy crust.
Transfer cauliflower rice to a bowl, add Parmesan cheese, egg, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix until a dough forms.
Transfer cauliflower mixture to the baking dish, smoothing it out with your hands and making sure to spread it evenly to cover the bottom and the sides of the dish.
Bake in the hot oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are brown and the overall crust is golden.
Transfer to a rack and allow to cool while you prepare the quiche filling.
In a bowl, combine the cream, milk, and eggs. Using a whisk or fork, beat until well blended. Stir in the cheese and season with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Scatter the crumbled bacon over the bottom of the cauliflower crust shell.
Pour into the prepared cauliflower crust shell and sprinkle the top lightly with nutmeg.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake until the custard is set and the tip of a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand for several minutes before serving.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 270 calories, 22 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs and 15 grams of protein.