A Simple Onion Tart

Let’s ignore the fact that I’ve been gone for three months, shall we?  Yes?  Super.  Accept this cute photo of Marco as an apology and we can just move on.

In fact, let’s just continue where we left off and pretend the following promised recipe isn’t terribly, terribly overdue.  It’s a recipe for an onion tart.  It’s very simple but it’s very, very good.  We’re having it tonight with a lentil and greens salad (will share that soon too) and some rosemary bread.  And I’ll undoubtedly polish off the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow morning – this is not a dish that lasts long in our house!

Onion Tart

330g plain flour

½ tsp salt

75g cold salted butter

75g lard

Cold water

5 medium onions

Knob  of butter

Glug of olive oil

½ tspn dried thyme

50g parmesan cheese

150ml milk

150 ml double cream

2 medium eggs

• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.  Cut the butter into cubes and throw in the bowl.  Quickly and vigorously rub the fats into the flour.  Lift your hands high above the bowl to make sure the mixture remains airy.  When the flour and fat are combined and resemble breadcrumbs, begin to add the cold water.  Start with 30ml and mix in with a knife.  Add water tablespoon by tablespoon and mix until the mixture starts to come together.  Use your hands to create a smooth ball of pastry.  Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for an hour.  (See Delia’s instructions for more detail.)  This makes more pastry than you’ll need.  I freeze the leftovers.
• Meanwhile, slice the onions to 5mm thickness.  Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.  Add the onions and cook slowly.  When the onions begin to go translucent, add the dried thyme and continue cooking.  I like my onions to be soft and just starting to go golden, for a sweeter tasting tart, cook the onions until golden and caramelised.
• In a jug, briefly whisk together the milk, cream and eggs with a little salt and pepper.
• Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a pound coin (3mm?) and line a 23cm fluted tart tin with it.  Line with baking paper, add baking beans or dried chickpeas and blind bake for 25 mins in a 180oC oven. Remove the beans and paper and bake for a futher 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven.  Add the onions to the base of the tin and half of the cheese.  Pour over the milky/eggy mixture and top with the remaining cheese.  Bake in the oven for 30 mins.
• Remove from oven when golden and set and let cool for 20 mins.  This tart is much taster when warm rather than hot.

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