france deux

For the love of cooking and all that is right: do NOT follow the blogs and recipes out there calling for 30-60 minutes of cooking the onions down to destruction before baking them. This is not a ‘French onion SOUP’ tart.

This stunning, savory French tart is so easy, it’s a game changer for non-bakers like myself. NOPE – it’s not one of our famously super-healthy recipes. But you can monitor your portions, and add all the veggies on the side that you like, plus a tall glass of water infused with sliced cucumbers and lemons for balance. Serve it all year as an affordable but very charming addition to any brunch, lunch, dinner, or pot-luck affair. Served simply with a salad, or as a surprising side dish, this elegant recipe is always a hit.

1 or 2 Pie crust: puff pastry, or prepared pie crust, or your homemade crust.

2 Tbsp. butter (optional)

¼ cup good olive or coconut oil –for the pan to soften the onions (add 2 Tbsp. if omitting butter).

2 pounds (8 cups) white or yellow onion sliced in half then into thin, uniform slices

2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese – you can combine similar, preferred cheeses

2-3 Tbsp. heavy cream

2 lg. eggs or 3 small-medium eggs

1 Tbsp. cooking sherry

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, trimmed

2-4 sprigs thyme for decorating the plate

½ tsp. sea salt & ½ tsp smallgrain black pepper (one may always opt to add more at the table.)

Nutmeg for topping if available

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, to bring to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 375° F with rack in center oven.

3. In a large, wide pan with high sides, heat the oil on medium heat and sweat the onions wit h a dash of salt, turning occasionally, for no more than10 minutes. Do not overcook the onions – they’re going to bake. Turn the heat off the onion pan.

4. Line a full-sized pie pan evenly with the dough, so that it comes to the top of the sides, but remains intact. Pinch edges. Carefully remove excess. Avoid random cracks in the dough.

Continued on pg. 22