Rustic Onion Tart

Without a doubt, one of my top appetizer recipes is Claire Robinson's Brie and Onion Puff. If you are having a dinner party and I'm asked to bring an app, chances are high that's the one I'll choose, main;y because of the savory caramelized onion layer. It smells like Thanksgiving stuffing when you're browning the onions and it's complex sweetness makes any dish special.

So it's not much of a surprise that I recently created this onion tart recipe to feature these onions for a recent wine tasting Boyfriend and I hosted. (More on that later!)

Simple, elegant and just a little country flair, rustic onions tart may be my next go-to appetizer!

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 T olive oil
2 T butter, salted
5 lbs sweet onions, sliced thinly on mandoline
2 garlic cloves
10 sprigs thyme, stems removed
Kosher salt
Black pepper

~4 Swiss cheese slices 

Directions:

Flour a work surface and unroll the pie crust onto a parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the pie crust until it nearly doubles its size, and the crust is about 1/8 inch thin.

To a hot pan, add the olive oil and butter (the combination is less likely to burn). Once the butter and olive oil are melted, add the garlic and then quickly add the onions.

Stirring every so often, watch the onions turn a dark caramel color, which can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is. If your pan is getting dry and your onions have a ways to go, add some water or stock, about 4 T at a time.

When the onions are soft and caramelized (they should have shrunk in size significantly), add the salt, pepper and thyme and continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Let cool.

Back to your crust (laid out on the  parchment paper), add about 4 slices of good quality Swiss cheese to the center of the crust- in about an 8 inch circle. This will be the bottom of your tart, so make sure your crust isn't too thin here.

Add the cool onion mixture to the top of the cheese and then fold the crust over on top of itself in 4 inch sections until you end where you began. It should be fairly even, but shouldn't be perfect.

Sprinkle with Swiss cheese, and brush crust with a beaten egg, if you are feeling fancypants.

Bake for ~20 minutes at 350, ensuring the crust is cooked.

If you like, finish with additional thyme and a sprinkle of sea salt. Pair with an Oregon pinot and you're in business!