Shelly's Recipe

CARAMELIZED ONION TART

Category: Sides

Topping
2 jumbo Vidalia or other sweet onions (about 8 cups) peeled, thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 lb bacon, diced, fried to medium crisp
3 tbsp cream
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Pastry
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cream cheese, chilled
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
1 to 2 tbsp ice water

Prepare topping first. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat; add oil. Put onions into pan and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Cover tightly and cook over medium-low heat, without stirring or peeking, for about 45 minutes. The onions will be soft and their liquid will have exuded.

Uncover the skillet and raise the heat to medium high. Continue cooking, stirring often, until all liquid has evaporated and onions are golden, about 30 minutes more. Turn off heat and allow onions to cool. Stir in cream. Re-season with salt, pepper and thyme, if desired, but be careful not to over-salt since bacon will be added. Topping can be made in advance and stored in refrigerator for 1 day.

Prepare crust by cutting butter and cream cheese into small cubes. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter first, and then the cream cheese, carefully blending the fats into the dry mixture with a pastry blender into the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water, one spoon at a time, mixing well and incorporating all of it into the mixture, forming a ball. Flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or even overnight.

Roll pastry out and place in a 9 or 10-inch tart or quiche pan. Cover crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights, dry beans or pennies on the paper to weight it down. Partially bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until it is a pale golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with a beaten egg white while still warm.

Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400. Top pastry with cooled onion mixture, spreading the onions all the way to the edge of the pastry. Scatter the fried bacon pieces over the onions, pushing them down into the onions a little to keep them from burning on the edges. Bake tart for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.