A Fragrant Onion Tart
Every now and then a cookbook grabs my attention and I have to own it. This is the case with Deborah Madison’s new book- Vegetable Literacy. Deborah had her first food revelation during a dinner at Chez Panisse; so profound was her experience that she went on to work at the Berkeley restaurant before founding Greens in San Francisco in 1979.
Deborah has written a wonderful book that transports us through the world of vegetables. At each stop in her journey, she creates wonderful recipes. One recipe in particular stood out to me because it paired so perfectly with our new Rose’: A Fragrant Onion Tart. I have borrowed her recipe for this quarter’s newsletter. Please note- I sometimes just buy premade pie dough rather than make my own, and will use white onions because of their mildness, unless Walla Walla Sweets are in season (think July).
From Deborah Madison, Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingom, with over 300 Deliciously Simple Recipes. Ten Speed Press 2013.
Yield 4 main course servings, or 6 to 8 appetizer servings.
Wine Pairing
Occasio Founder’s Collection Malvasia Bianca.
Ingredients
For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds onions (about 3 medium), preferably white
2 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into small pieces, optional
2 tablespoons butter
1 heaping teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 2 pinches dried
Sea salt
Black pepper
3 eggs
1/2 cup crème fraîche or cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated aged Gouda or Gruyère cheese
For the crust:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white whole-wheat or spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small bits
Method
1. To make the filling, cut onions in half, peel them, and if they are strong, put them in a bowl of cold water. It doesn’t take long for that to reduce their sting. When you’re ready, finely dice them. (White onions usually aren’t as strong as yellow ones.)
2. If you’re using bacon, fry it until browned and nearly crisp, then scoop it out to drain on a paper towel. Throw out bacon grease, wipe out pan, and add 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add onions, thyme and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes in all. At first the onions will be very moist, but after 10 minutes their water will have cooked off and they’ll begin to color. They needn’t be caramelized, but just take on a faint golden hue. When done, let them cool slightly. Taste for salt — they’ll be very sweet so you might want to add more — and season well with pepper.
3. While onions cook, whisk eggs with crème fraîche and milk. Stir in cooled onions, cheese and bacon, if using.
4. To make the crust, put flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 6 tablespoons butter and turn mixer to low speed until butter has broken into small, pebble-size pieces. Drizzle in ice water until dough looks clumpy and damp. (You’ll use about 3 tablespoons or less if the butter was soft.) Form dough into a disk or a rectangle to correspond to the shape pan you’re using. You have a few choices: a 9-inch tart pan, a square tart pan, or a rectangular one (11 x 8 1/2 inches), all with removable bottoms. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate.
5. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough to fit your chosen tart pan, and then drape dough in pan. Neatly press dough up the sides of the pan and shape it. Set it on a sheet pan. When oven is ready, pour onion mixture into tart pan, even out mixture, then bake until surface is golden and browned in places, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool to warm before cutting into slices and serving.
