ON A QUEST to surprise your family with a rich, savoury meal they’re guaranteed to love?

Then look no further than the recipe for my mouth-watering crowd-pleaser, quiche Lorraine.

It is made with Swiss Gruyere cheese, crispy bacon bits and spring onions, and seasoned with black pepper.

A simple quiche can be assembled in a few minutes and is ready to be eaten in about 40 minutes.

My recipe is perfect to knock up when you are in a hurry and are looking for inspirations. You will have most basic ingredients at home in the pantry, fridge or freezer, so you can swing a fabulous dinner quickly.

A proper quiche should be rich and creamy and ,most of all, baked with a luxurious egg custard, not some kind of dense, baked omelette.

Of course, you can use all milk instead of cream in this recipe to cut down on a few calories, but you will not get the same amazing results, so give careful consideration before grabbing a pot of double cream from the supermarket shelf.

This recipe has an air of rustic sophistication, whether eaten for breakfast, brunch, dinner or, just like me, as an indulgent bite-size appetizer snack!

The most intimidating part of making any quiche is ensuring the crust is baked right.

I like to pre-bake the crust without the need for dried pulses to prevent it going soggy, and find pricking the base all over with a fork is usually enough to keep the pastry from puffing up and shrinking back.

You can choose between homemade pastry or a good branded shop-bought version if you don’t want the hassle. Whichever pastry you decide on, it will still make a delightful meal served with a green salad, plate of chips and a bottle of white chilled wine.

Do not overcook the egg custard, and ensure the pastry is not rolled out too thickly.

If the pastry develops a few minor holes, slits or cracks in the tart shell, simply brush on a little beaten egg then bake for five minutes to set the egg. Once baked, it can be eaten hot or cold.

The varieties are endless and this French classic normally only consists of cheap cuts of meats, battery eggs and sometimes off-cuts of cheap cheeses for flavour. The fillings need to be like liquid satin, and the Swiss Gruyere cheese in this recipe makes it very special. It is the finest cheese for baking with, especially in quiches, adding savouriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. In this pleasing recipe it is baked to perfection with full-fat cream and free-range eggs, all encased with a buttery shortcrust pastry.

If you have neither made nor tried homemade quiche, it’s about time you did, so dust off your flan dish from under the kitchen sink, then educate your tastebuds away from the processed foods we take for granted and serve up a proper homemade meal for once!