French Onion Tart

To me, there is no savoury kitchen aroma more inviting than that of onions being reduced. They're rich, sweet, gooey and golden. This Onion Tart leaves them pretty much unadulterated, protected only by a hard, crunchy case of pastry and resting on a cushion of slightly peppered egg. Delicious.


Pastry Case:
The pastry for this recipe is the standard oaty one I use for tarts and quiches. It can be found under a separate post, funnily enough called 'Oat Pastry'. For this particular recipe, I suggest using sesame seeds (rather than poppy seeds), for no reason other than that's the way I like it. Have a go and see.

Onion:
Chop 4 onions into rings and let them reduce on a low heat in olive oil for 15 minutes on the hob. Add 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp of soy sauce, mix together and cook at same low heat for another 5 minutes until any liquid remaining is like a thick sauce.

Egg Mixture:
Lightly whisk

• 4 eggs
• 100g goats/soya milk or yoghurt
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few drops of tabasco (optional)

Baking:
Reduce oven to 150 degrees and assemble the tarts: put the onions evenly across the cooled pastry base, cover with the egg mixture, and top off with a dash of nutmeg. Bake for 30-40 minutes (less for smaller pans) until the egg sets and then set on a rack to cool, before turning out and eating. Best served with a big juicy salad.