Alsatian Onion Tart
A good friend recently asked for my Alsatian onion tart recipe that I prepared on Christmas Day as a prelude to our annual Choucroute extravaganza. It seems almost counter-intuitive to serve a rich creamy dish before a rich fatty dish, but they really work well together. Try drinking an Alsatian Gewürztraminer with a slight bit of residual sugar to counterbalance the acidity found in choucroute and to marry with the rich pork sausages.
Onion tarts make a fabulous, easy to prepare lunch served simply with a green salad and a glass of wine. Hashtag us at #PistouAndPastis to show off you tart!
Pate Brisee, Savory Pie Dough
An all purpose pie crust for savory pies and quiches.
- 12 ounces all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 ounces cold butter (diced)
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Put the flour, salt and baking powder into your food processor and pulse.
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Add butter, pulse till it resembles corn meal.
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Add just enough water to make it comes together in a ball.
Alsatian Onion Tart
A super simple recipe for the classic onion tart from Alsace
- 1 pate brisee recipe - see above
- 3 strips bacon (diced)
- 2 each sweet onions (peeled and sliced)
- 1 teaspoon fresh Thyme, or a pinch of herbs de Provence
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces Munster or Gruyere
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Roll out dough to 1/8 inch on a floured surface. Wrap dough around your rolling pin, then unwind over your tart shell. This is an easy way to handle the dough without breaking it. I like to use a rectangle shaped tart shell for this recipe.
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Press dough deeply into the corners of tart pan. Leave a half an inch hanging over the sides, then pinch tightly to the sides. Pate brisee has a nasty habit of shrinking when its put into the oven. Pinching the edges works similarly to lining your tart shell with aluminum foil and then filling with baking beans. Maybe it is the lazy way to do it, but it works. As Chef Louis Szathmary once said, People do not eat methods, they eat results!
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Put tart shell in freezer, and let sit for one hour. This relaxes the glutens in your dough, and will keep the crust tender and soft.
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Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes, or until slightly browned.
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Remove from oven and use your rolling pin to roll across the tart shell top to trim excess dough from the edges. These make great scooby snacks to keep the cook fortified during the cooking process.
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While your tart shell is cooking, prepare the filling. Cook your bacon till brown and crispy.
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Add sliced onions, and continue cooking for five or until caramelized.
- Season with thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
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Fill the tart shell with the caramelized onions and bacon mixture.
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Mix eggs and cream together then pour over onions and bacon.
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Shred cheese and sprinkle over.
- Bake at 400 degrees till lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly then enjoy!