Whenever I’m looking to make a French classic, I turn to Julia first. Her recipes aren’t always simple, but they are always thorough and unfailingly reliable, so who better to turn to when you’re looking to make the classic quiche, Quiche Lorraine? It can only be Julia. Quiche Lorraine is simple — a custard base with lardons (or bacon) running throughout — but when it’s done right, it’s divine. And like she always does, Julia does it right.

When you think of quiche, you might think of cheese (I know I do), but Julia’s Quiche Lorraine features no cheese at all. But don’t worry, you’re not going to miss it. She uses heavy cream and eggs instead to create a custard base that’s soft and silky and still so flavorful.

While some Julia Child recipes can be a little tedious (Bouef Bourguignon, I’m looking at you), this one is decidedly simple. You just brown up some bacon and arrange it in a par-baked pie crust before you whisk together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and pour it over the top. Easy, no?

Julia once said “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream” but here she actually uses both. The final step here is to dot the top of the custard with pats of butter before it heads into the oven. I said there was no cheese, but I didn’t say this wasn’t rich. This bakes into a soft, lovely, rich custard that tastes of smoky, salty bacon. It’s truly classic. Bon appétit!