This tart was epic, so I wanted to share the recipe. I was really happy with how it turned out and once again it was so easy to prepare. The only time involved was in reducing down the onions, but you don\’t need to do much, it just takes time.
As I have said before I am a big believer in frozen pie crusts as long as they are of the best quality. I have found a brand at Whole Foods which are excellent and frankly, I can\’t tell a big difference from made from scratch. The brand is called Wholly Wholesome and they are the Organic Traditional 9\” Pie Shells. www.whollywholesome.com
However, pie crusts was never one of my specialities, so if you enjoy making crusts, then go ahead and I\’m sure it will be stunning.
Ingredients
4 large Onions, peeled and very thinly sliced
4 oz of Butter
4-5 springs of fresh Thyme, with herb stripped away and stems discarded
4 Eggs
1 pint of Heavy Cream, also known as whipping cream or double cream
1/2 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese
Freshly grated Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Peel and then slice the onions very thinly. I find a mandoline makes this much easier. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan which has a lid.
Add the onions into the butter, stir and add the salt and the pepper and fresh thyme and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours on the lowest simmer. Then uncover and continue to cook gently until all of the water is gone and you are left with just the onions and butter.
Now you will need to blind bake/half bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, use a fork to gently prick the pie crust on the bottom and on the sides.
Cut a piece of parchment paper so it overlaps the crust slightly and lay it onto the unbaked crust, and fill with dried beans. Push them so you have more beans on the sides and less in the middle. Then bake for 10-15 minutes.
After baking, remove the crust and lift of the parchment paper and allow the crust to cool. The beans can be stored and reused. They will be hot when they come out, so handle with care.
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling, by beating the eggs and then adding in the cream until well blended. Then add in the onion mixture and fold into the filling and then add in the cheese.
Gently pour mixture into the crust, sprinkle with the freshly grated nutmeg and then bake for 35-45 minutes until done. The best way to check for doneness is to jiggle the baking sheet a bit. If the filling still moves, it is not done, when it is firm, it is done. Remove and allow to cool and serve with a simple salad.
I would serve this with a light white wine, like a Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc.
The Louisville Chef 