Colorado Onion Tart
Inspired by a recipe for an Alsatian Onion Tart from Gourmet Magazine, March 2004 edition (more Gourmet recipes available at ). Use your favorite non-sweetened pastry dough, either homemade or store-bought. Makes 1 tart.
Ingredients
1 portion pie crust pastry (enough for bottom crust), rolled into a 14-inch round
½ pound fresh chorizo (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds white onions, preferably Colorado-grown, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
Line pie dish or tart pan with pastry, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Lightly prick with a fork and chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Line chilled pastry with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake until pastry is set and pale golden along rim, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and return crust to oven. Bake 10 minutes more, until golden all over. Transfer to a rack.
Cook chorizo in a large skillet until browned. Transfer to a paper towel to drain and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add butter and onions with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are very soft and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in chorizo, then remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
Whisk together cream, eggs, nutmeg and remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl, then stir in onions. Pour filling into crust, spreading onions evenly, and bake until filling is set and top is golden, about 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
