Creamy Onion Tart
- Total Time
- 3 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1large white onion, very thinly sliced
- 4tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼cup all-purpose flour
- ¾cup whole milk, warmed
- ⅓cup heavy cream, warmed
- 2large eggs, lightly beaten
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- ½recipe Pate Brisee
- 1¾cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 6tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured, cut up and chilled
- 2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening, chilled
- 1large egg
For the Tart
Pate Brisee
Preparation
To Prepare the Crust
- Step 1
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, butter and shortening on low speed until crumbly. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons cold water and the egg. Beat just until the dough comes together in large clumps.
- Step 2
Divide the dough in half and press each half into a 1-inch-thick round disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Alternatively, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Step 3
For each crust, on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough into a 10-inch round. Carefully transfer the dough to an 8-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough gently against the bottom and up the sides. If necessary, trim the edges against the rim.
- Step 4
Line the dough with foil, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Freeze overnight, or until very hard.
- Step 5
To blind bake a tart shell, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Step 6
Bake the frozen crust until the edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Poke holes all over the bottom of the crust with a fork, then return to the oven. Bake until the bottom is set and the crust is blonde, about 8 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack.
To Make the Tart
- Step 7
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, combine the onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until very tender and pale gold, about 25 minutes.
- Step 8
In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream in a slow, steady stream. Still whisking, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, whisking occasionally.
- Step 9
Whisk in the eggs, a little at a time, until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in the onion, then season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to the tart shell, spreading it in an even layer.
- Step 10
Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Unmold and serve warm.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
QUESTION: So the shell recipe makes dough firv2 shells then? Please clarify.
Hi Jen. The dough makes 2 crusts. The tart recipe calls for 1/2 of the crust recipe, or 1 crust. Cheers!
The best onion tart I’ve ever had! Make sure to balance the seasonings before baking it by tasting the filling. If u season it well, u r up for a treat!! I served it with cold cucumber slices sprinkled with mint powder and sprayed with white vinegar. Perfect dinner.
No tart shell with removable bottom here, so used my usual 9" glass pie dish. Did not freeze til solid, just an hour or so. Then blind baked as specified. Worked out great!
Great alt to quiche! I have histamine intolerance, can't eat aged cheese anymore. Here the roux replaces cheese as a "glue". Recipe is spot on. A softer, more pillow-y, lighter alternative to quiche. Yet substantial for dinner. Flexible too... Did not freeze pate brisee til "rock" solid, an hour was enough-hungry! Froze other 1/2 disc for next time. Added roasted asparagus (it's Spring, almost), so reduced onion quantity a bit. Used 1 cup half n half, that's what I had. Will def make again!
Has anyone tried to make this? Can we replace the vegetable shortening?
This is a good recipe -however- I wish it was a bit more specific with the salt measurements because mine turned out too salty. Thankfully it was just a test run and I was able to (sort of) fix it with a bit of sugar at more unsalted onions.
QUESTION: So the shell recipe makes dough firv2 shells then? Please clarify.
Hi Jen. The dough makes 2 crusts. The tart recipe calls for 1/2 of the crust recipe, or 1 crust. Cheers!
Advertisement