Onion Tart

If you don't want to use lard or bacon fat, is it fine to just use more butter?

Here ya go Tiger, in the order discussed: (1) food processor; (2) medium stainless bowl; (3) flexible plastic dough scraper; (4) knife; (5) wide sauté pan; (6) rolling pin; (7) round 10-inch fluted false-bottom tart pan; (8) fork; (9) bowl; (10) baking sheet

Don’t you need to line the pastry with parchment paper before adding weights or beans?

household recipe en francaise does not precook the dough. Works very well, and is a simpler recipe.I use much less cream than recipe here, and two eggs.

And yeah, if you do have to pre-bake the crust shell, contain the pie weights or beans or whatever you use, in a layer of aluminum foil or parchment, large enough to provide a purchase to remove all of it in one go. A surprising omission in this printed recipe. I'd edit it for the sake of the literal minded, who will need hours to pick the bits out of the partially baked crust otherwise.

A delicious dairy free variation......spread a thin layer of grainy French mustard over the bottom crust, cover with sauteed onions and bake. Sprinkle with fresh thyme or parsley,

Made many tarts, all cousins to this, mainly with a combination of some allium (usually leeks) and some green leaf (usually chard) as the filling, with a savory custard (eggs, plus whatever is available on hand in the way of milk or cream: crême fraîche, even yogurt, and sometimes cheese) that is always far more liquid than this. Aside from poking holes in the bottom with a fork, I've never had to pre-bake the shell. Has never leaked or gotten soggy, not in 30 years.

Stella Parks (the magnificent Bravetart) suggests using a cake pan lined with parchment and sugar (instead of beans) when you blind-bake your pie crusts; the weight is the same and the sugar will toast ever so slightly, rendering it slightly caramelized, less sweet and utterly delicious. Use the sugar in a cake or buttercream or both. You'll see. You just have to watch the sugar to ensure that it doesn't melt.

Yes, you do, otherwise you can't remove them. If I didn't have weights I used to put in the parchment paper and use a 1" smaller cake pan or inside the tart pan.

You can caramelize the onions with anything suitable. Don't burn 'em. I put them on first thing, make the pastry, let it cool in the refrigerator while oven is heating, make the custard mix, and then when the shell comes out, the onions are just about done.

Didn’t have bacon fat so I used duck fat. Added thyme and some goat cheese. Used a 1/4 cub of white wine to deglaze the onions. Delicious!

ghee for vegetarians and coconut oil mixed with EVOO for vegans.

It holds pretty well in the refrigerator. I make this Sunday mornings, often with some additions (goat cheese, asparagus spears, maybe some bacon), and we eat the leftovers for a couple days. It's definitely a go-to, and once you've made it a couple times, you'll know exactly what it should look like, and how it should feel.

I ate this many many moons ago at Lutece when I was pregnant with my daughter. To get a reservation you had to call eight weeks to the day and hope you got through at 10 o’clock when the reservation lines opened. We flew done fro NH for dinner. It was an incredible evening. I remember I had sweetbreads for the first time.

Made this last night after finding only one note from someone who actually made the recipe before commenting (thanks Mel), and used duck fat since I had no bacon fat. The recipe is correct in that the crust does seem too soft when the tart is finished, and it does firm up as it cools. Otherwise followed exactly - wonderful!