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Welcome to 100 Miles, an exploration of sustaining life by going no further away than 100 miles to gather the things we need to live. This web log is my journal of food-based experiences, memories, thoughts, and recipes. I hope you enjoy reading it. To subscribe, so as not to miss each new edition, please enter your email address.

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      Onion Tart, or Tarte à l’Oignon

      July 9, 2010

      Onion Tart 034

      Une tarte à l’oignon, or onion tart, quickly became a favorite dish to eat when I lived in the Alsace region of France.  In the late ’70s I spent a year there working for a French family as an au pair, or mother’s helper.  The region is fairly wet and cold for a good portion of the year.  The resulting cuisine is hearty and heavily influenced by neighboring Germany.  During the winter months making this tart and eating it hot from the oven with a green salad made for a most satisfying evening meal.  I made this tart often for my French family.  It is also available at many of the region’s butchers, charcuteries, pastry shops, and bakeries.  As a kind of grab and go item a slice or two was the perfect foil against oncoming hunger, or a great picnic item for long country hikes or bicycle rides — both of which I did on numerous occasions.  It can be eaten hot out of the oven, or at room temperature.  The French are less fussy than we Americans when it comes to packaging; whenever I bought it at a pastry shop, bakery or butcher they simply wrapped up the slices in waxed paper and tied the package with string.  The paper then became a de facto plate when it came to time eat it.

      Onion Tart 033

      When I returned from France I wanted to recreate this dish at home.  I followed a recipe, in French, from a little tiny paperback book I picked up in Alsace: ‘Petit Recueil de la Gastronomie Alsacienne: 75 Recettes Simples’ which translates to ‘Small Collection of Alsatian Gastronomy: 75 Simple Recipes.”  I had the metric scale and measures to use; all I needed was to find a pie crust  recipe.  The recipe in the Petit Recueil calls for a pâte brisée which is a basic white flour pie crust.  I had just purchased ‘Laurel’s Kitchen’ and in it she has a recipe for a whole wheat crust which I tried, and loved.  Ever since then I have made this dish using her whole wheat crust.  You may, however, use your own favorite pie crust recipe.  For my French readers, and I know of at least one, Pierre of Pierre Cuisine, I have included the recipe en franςais.  I also left the metric measures in my translation in case you want to try it using the metric system…

      Onion Tart, or Tarte à l’Oignon

      Adapted from ‘Petit Recueil de la Gastronomie Alsacienne: 75 Recettes Simples’

      250 g. de pâte brisée/ 500 g. d’oignons /100 g. de lardon fumés/ 2 dl. de crème/ 2 dl. de lait/ 2 jaunes d’œufs/  50 g. de farine/ sel, poivre, noix de muscade.

      Foncer de pâte brisée, un moule à tarte; préchauffer le four; garnir la pâte d’une fondue d’oignons émincés revenus doucement dan le beurre; ajouter le lardons blanchis chauds.  Recouvrir les oignons de la crème, du lait et des œufs battus avec farine, sel, poivre et noix de muscade.  Faire cuire à four chaud 25 mn. environ.

      On peut remplacer le mélange d’œufs, de lait et de crème par une sauce Béchamel.

      Serves

      6

      Ingredients

      500 g., or 1 lbs. onions, (2 medium-sized onions)

      100 g., or 3 ½ oz. smoked bacon, or *lardons

      2 dl, (200 ml), or ¾ cups cream

      2 dl, (200 ml), or ¾ cups milk

      2 eggs, yolks only

      50 g., or 1/3 cups flour

      4 Tbs butter

      1 tsp nutmeg

      Pinch salt

      Pinch pepper

      Method

      Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

      Prepare a pie crust and set aside.

      Slice the onions.  Cut the bacon into cubes (lardons).  Blanch the bacon.  Sauté the onions in the butter over a low fire.  Do not brown but cook until limp.  Add the blanched bacon and stir together.

      Beat the egg yolks, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg together.

      Put the onions and bacon into the unbaked pie crust.  Pour the egg and flour mixture over.

      Bake 25 – 30 minutes, top should brown slightly.

      *This recipe calls for lardons fumés which are cubes of smoked bacon.  You should be able to find slabs of smoked bacon (not already sliced) at a butcher or specialty food store.  Ask for a 3 ½ oz. piece and then cube it at home.  You want ¼ inch cubes.

      Print Recipe

      Recommended Pie Crust:  here is my pie crust recommendation ~ ‘Piecrust’ from Laurel’s Kitchen.  It also appears, and can be printed out, in the ‘Recipes’ page at the top of this blog.

      Recommendation:  Let Me Cook For You ~ for my Marin County, and Bay Area readers.  My sister, Traci Thompson, has started a personal cooking service.  She’ll devise menus, do the shopping, come to your house, and cook for you and your family.  She’s an amazing cook and prepares ‘healthy homemade meals for everyone’.

      Coming Up: International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC), August 27 – 29, 2010, Seattle Washington.  So much fun last year that I’ll be attending again this year.  Are you?

      Upcoming Posts: Cochon 555 Napa, a write up of the amazing pork festival that I attended this spring. Cookbook Reviews: Steak and Friends: At Home with Rick Tramonto by Rick Tramonto, Spice Dreams by Sara Engram and Katie Luber, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly by Joan E. Aller.

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      9 Comments on “Onion Tart, or Tarte à l’Oignon”

      1. Traci Thompson says:
        July 9, 2010 at 4:43 pm

        Yum, yum, I am going to make this. It sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing it. I hope mine turns out as well as yours.

      2. Cortne says:
        July 9, 2010 at 10:29 pm

        I just made a quiche, including a 3:2:1 (flour:fat:butter) 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat pie crust from scratch.

        I’ll have to give this one a try and use up the couple of pounds of onions sitting on top of my fridge.

      3. Cortne says:
        July 9, 2010 at 10:30 pm

        oops, that ratio is actually flour:fat:water. I just had butter on my mind (who doesn’t), as it was the fat I used for that particular pie crust.

      4. pierre says:
        July 10, 2010 at 2:18 am

        salut charles
        ta tarte à l’oignon est delicious !! Bravo piERRE

      5. Charles Thompson says:
        July 10, 2010 at 2:31 pm

        Traci: Let me know how it turns out!

        Cortne: I also use this whole wheat crust when I make quiches. It is so good!

        Pierre: Merci beaucoup!

      6. rober says:
        July 10, 2010 at 6:51 pm

        the tarte was delicieuse! You need to make this for me all the time. That crust recipe is a winner and so versatile.

      7. Charles Thompson says:
        July 10, 2010 at 6:55 pm

        Merci Monsieur Robert! C’est une tarte merveilleuse!

      8. Phoo-d says:
        July 11, 2010 at 6:27 am

        What a lovely tart! I am a big fan of anything onion and this looks like the perfect snack for a summer picnic.

      9. Charles G Thompson says:
        July 11, 2010 at 9:05 pm

        Thanks, Phoo-d. Let me know if you try it, and what you think. Bon appétit!

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