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Julia Child is considered to be the chef responsible for popularizing and demystifying French cooking for American home cooks. After studying at Cordon Bleu in Paris, she returned to the U.S. where she made it her life’s work to make French food accessible. At 49, Julia Child launched a life-changing cookbook that still shapes cooking today, followed by a beloved television show called “The French Chef,” where she used humor and charm to take away the intimidation people felt around unfamiliar recipes by giving clear, step-by-step instructions. One of the best examples of this can be demonstrated by her easy quiche recipe that comes together in minutes.
Child developed what many call the “magic quiche ratio,” a foolproof method to making quiche beyond simple. The ratio is three eggs with enough milk, cream, or half and half added to a liquid measuring cup to reach the 1½-cup mark. After whisking the ingredients together well, this custard base can be used to customize your quiche with infinite flavor variations.
The magic ratio gives foolproof quiche every time
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Child’s magic quiche ratio works so well because of the balance between the eggs and dairy. Three eggs give the filling just enough fat and protein to set the quiche and provide texture. The right amount of milk or cream allows the eggs to firm up without adding too much liquid to the mixture, giving you a smooth, custardy filling. Given that this quiche formula is so simple, yet yields such delicious results, it’s easy to see why it was one of Julia Child’s all-time favorite foods.
Some of Child’s recipes are more complicated, yet others, like her quiche, are wildly easy and still hold up today. Perhaps, one of the things Child loved about quiche was its versatility. Quiche Lorraine, combining crispy bits of bacon, Gruyère cheese, and a creamy custard inside a buttery, flaky crust, is a dish she helped to popularize in the U.S., but you can add broccoli, mushrooms, seafood, spinach, or any number of things to the magic quiche base with delicious results. Blind baking your crust, adding a pinch of nutmeg to the filling, or bumping up the flavor with fresh herbs are some tips you need when making quiche to upgrade the dish even more.
Dining and Cooking