Onion Sage Tart Food

ONION AND SAGE TARTS

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat until almost crisp; stirring often.
• Add the onions, sugar and salt; cook, stirring often until they cook down by 2/3, about 10 minute.
• Add 2 tsp vinegar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until the onions are evenly golden brown and softened to a marmalade consistency, about 15-30 min (depending on the onions).
• Stir often and scrape up any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. They will need almost constant stirring near the end to prevent them from sticking and burning. They will let you know they need attention by giving off a sizzling sound.
• Stir in the sage (or other spice), and remove from the heat.
• Taste and season with black pepper and additional salt if needed. If the onions seem overly sweet, stir in another tsp of vinegar. (Onions can be stored, covered in the fridge for two days at this point.).
• Preheat the oven to 350º.
• Stir the cream and egg into the caramelized onions until thoroughly combined.
• Divide the filling among the tart shells and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the upper portion of the oven until the filling is set, about 15 minute The filling should still be soft but not runny.
• Let cool slightly, then transfer the tarts to a cutting board using a large spatula.
• Cut each into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ONION AND SAGE TARTS

Steps:

• 1. Caramelizing the onions. Peel the onions and cut them in half from root to tip. Cut out the dense core at the root end and slice the onions 1/4 inch thick, again from root end to tip. Cook the bacon, stirring often, in a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat until almost crisp. Add the onions, sugar, and salt, and cook, stirring often until they cook down by two-thirds, about 10 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons vinegar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until the onions are an even golden brown and softened to a marmalade consistency, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the onions. Stir often and scrape up any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. The onions need almost constant stirring near the end to prevent them from sticking and burning. They'll let you know they need attention by giving off a sizzling sound. Stir in the sage, allow them to cool slightly, then taste and season with black pepper and additional salt if needed. If the onions seem overly sweet, stir in another teaspoon of vinegar. (The onions can be caramelized up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.)
• 2. Filling and baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir the cream and egg into the caramelized onions until thoroughly combined. Divide the filling among the tart shells and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake in the upper third of the oven until the filling is set, about 15 minutes. The filling should still be soft but not runny. Let cool slightly, then transfer the tarts to a cutting board using a large spatula. Cut each into 8 wedges with the downward pressure of a sharp chef's knife. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Variations
• For large tarts, prebake 2 10-inch Free-Form Tart Shells. Divide the onion mixture between them and bake the tarts until the filling is set in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer them to a cutting board and cut each into 12 wedges.
• Herb Substitutions
• In place of sage, use an equal amount of finely chopped rosemary, marjoram, savory, English thyme, or lemon thyme.

ONION TART

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Scatter butter over flour, top with lid and pulse 12 pulses to cut butter into flour to a coarse meal consistency.
• Dump butter-flour mixture into a medium stainless bowl. Make a well in the center and pour ice-cold water into the well.
• Using a flexible plastic dough scraper instead of your warm hands, bring the dough together by folding and pressing. Be firm and brisk and get the dough past its shaggy stage into a neat disk, trying to avoid using your hands or too much kneading. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, cut the onions in half and peel them. Slice the halves with the ribs (root end to sprout end direction), not against, to create julienne slices rather than half moons.
• In a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the bacon fat and slowly sweat the onions until they are caramelized. Take all the minutes you need - 25 or so - to let them soften to translucent, then to let the water they release start to evaporate, then to allow the sugars they contain to start to brown in the pan, so that you end up with soft, sweet and evenly browned onions. This is achieved by a slow caramelization. Set onions aside to cool.
• Roll tart dough out to a 1/4-inch-thick round, and drape over a round 10-inch fluted false-bottom tart pan. Lay dough into the pan, gently pressing into the bottom, and roll the pin across the pan to cut off the excess dough. Use your fingers to press the edges into the flutes, accentuating the shape of the dough edge. Dock the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork, weight the pastry with beans or weight and blind-bake for 25 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the egg with the cream. Stir in the caramelized onions. Season with pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste. Stir well, and make sure the onions are all evenly coated with the custard.
• Remove tart shell from oven, and slip it onto a baking sheet. Remove weights, fill with the onion-custard mixture and distribute it evenly. Return tart to oven on the sheet, and bake for 25 minutes, or until custard has set, the tops of the onions start to achieve a deeper brown and the dough is dark golden brown at the edges.
• Remove from the ring, and allow to cool just a few minutes on the rack, so that the piping hot tart shell can kind of tighten up enough to be sliced with a sharp chef's knife. (In the first few minutes straight out of the oven, the dough is kind of soft from the heat, possibly giving you the false impression that you have a soggy tart. Let it sit on the rack just to shake off this initial soft stage and to recrisp and refirm, which it will.) Cut into wedges, and serve while hot.

ULTIMATE ONION TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a deep 23cm fluted flan tin. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 mins.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, then gently fry the onions, covered, for about 30 mins until completely softened, but still pale in colour.
• Beat the eggs and cream together in a bowl, then add the cheese and some seasoning. Stir in the onions, then spoon the mixture into the flan case. Bake for 25-30 mins until lightly set and browned.