Hello from 30,000 feet! I wrote this on my 23rd airplane flight since November 2012, but here’s the part where you can be certain at last that I’m as weird as you already suspected: I still love flying as much as this guy. How could I not? At the time, there were perfect white puffs of clouds below us (I always call them Simpson’s Clouds, because they remind me of the ones in the show’s opener) and the sky above the clouds, as always, was piercingly blue. The day before, it was snow-sided mountains down below, and before that, circular fields inside perfect grids, fern-like trenches and mosaics that stretched to the horizon. That I also get to hang out at awesome bookstores and meet really nice people who indulge me (but really shouldn’t, lest I feel encouraged) by laughing at my terrible jokes only makes it more fun.
This strange thing that’s been happening over these book tours that I spend the entirety of my time outside the kitchen pining for it. I constantly jot down recipe ideas and become obsessed with making something very specific when I get home, like English muffins that taste like rye bread or a breakfast burrito like the awesome one I had at the Salt Lake City Airport (seriously) or intense homesick cravings for street meat from Rafiqi’s. Then I get home and… nothing. My cooking motivation goes through the floor. I try not to fight it; I hate when cooking is a chore, so we’ll order in or go out for one night, and then another. Usually, by the third evening, I am so completely over it — the salad with too much dressing, the raw-centered burger that you send back and comes out burnt through — that I’m back in the kitchen, relieved that absence made my cooking obsession stronger.
Alas, it’s still March in New York City which means that just because I’m excited to cook doesn’t mean that there’s a lot of very exciting ingredients to cook with right now. My fridge is either filled with ever-fresh vegetables and fruits of distant origins and disturbing packaging dates or it’s bare bones. Digging around the other day, I found little but onions, a old hunk of cheese, butter and eggs and could think of no better way to turn them into something greater than the sum of their parts than quiche. I took a page from my cookbook, wherein I reduce French Onion Soup to it’s most essential parts — brothy caramelized onions, toasts and broiled cheese, to be served as a snack — and expanded it into what has got to be the best dinner tart we’ve had in ages. If you like the soup but were hoping for more of a meal; if you have almost nothing in the fridge and don’t feel like shopping; if you’ve got a brunch this weekend and want to up the bar on your go-to quiche, well, I think this is how you should.
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, UK/Australia Edition: Last Thursday, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook came out in the UK and Australia. (The US edition, from Knopf, and Canadian edition, from Appetite Canad, were both released in October 2012.) I am so excited about it, I wanted to give you a little preview here. The book looks a little different; the cover is pink, abstract and jacketless, showcasing a recipe inside for Rhubarb Almond Hamantaschen. They’re not really traditional hamantaschen; there’s no vegetable oil or orange juice. In fact, they’re closer to free-form tartlets than they are to heavy cookies, just the way I like them. I hope you do too.
The recipes inside are exactly the same, but they’ve been anglicized a little — eggplants are aubergines, for example, and alternative suggestions are made for ingredients not readily available on the other side of the pond. While the U.S. edition has measurements in cups-and-spoons and weights in grams and sometimes ounces, the UK/Australian edition is just in weights and spoonfuls. The book should be available throughout the UK and Australia from online and brick-and-mortar retailers. I hope if you were holding out to buy the book until it finally crossed the pond, this will be worth the wait. [More Cookbook Information]
Out and about: Book Tour II continues, and what fun it has been! I will be in Minneapolis Tuesday evening and Louisville at the end of the month. Every listing and all of the details are on this page. Come say hi?
One year ago: Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese and Multigrain Apple Crisps
Two years ago: Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil, Pina Colada Cake and Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers
Three years ago: Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze, Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart, Thick, Chewy Granola Bars, Arroz Con Leche, Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs and St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Four years ago: Red Kidney Bean Curry, Thick Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Meatball Sliders, Key Lime Coconut Cake, and Steak Sandwiches
Five years ago: Pear and Almond Tart, Escarole and Orzo Soup with Meatballs
Six years ago: Baked Tomato Sauce
French Onion Tart
I tend to fiddle around with different crust ratios each time I make a savory tart shell because I’m still looking for my favorite. Below is (roughly) the one recommended by Larousse Gastronomique. If you have a go-to crust that you love, feel free to use it here. If you can’t be bothered making one, there’s no shame in buying one at the store. I also tend to go back and forth on the value of par-baking crusts — if you blind bake them first, you will get a more crisp shell and deeper color in the end (if, uh, you bake it as long as I recommend below, and not for the shorter time that I did, because I wasn’t paying attention). It’s totally up to you if you feel this step is worth it; it still works if you put the filling in a raw pastry shell, it just stays a bit more pale.
Updated: Because several of you had issues with the quiche layers separating (into onions, eggs, then cheese), I’ve altered the directions to have you cool the onions long enough that they won’t scramble the eggs, then mix the egg custard and onions together before filling the shell. The prior method, spreading the onions in the bottom, then pouring over the custard, was to allow you to skip the cooling step.
Crust
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces or 113 grams) chilled butter, in cubes
3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1 1/2 pounds yellow onions (about 4 medium), halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Scant 1/2 teaspoon table salt
Pinch of sugar
1 cup low-sodium beef, veal or mushroom stock/broth
2 teaspoons cognac, brandy or vermouth (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces or 60 grams) grated Gruyere, Comte or Swiss cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream (half-and-half and milk work too, but cream tastes best)
Make crust: Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl or the work bowl of a food processor. Add butter; either rub the butter bits into the flour with your fingertips, with a pastry blender or (in the food processor option) by pulsing the machine on in short bursts until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle in cold water and mix it with a spoon, a few more cuts with a handheld pastry blender, or by pulsing the machine a couple more times. The mixture should form large clumps. Knead it gently into a ball; it will be on the firm side but should be easy to roll.
Lightly butter a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable base. Don’t have one? Try a standard pie dish or even a 9-inch cake pan. The second two options will be hard/impossible to unmold later, but there’s no harm in serving the tart from its baking pan.
Roll your dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is about 11 inches in diameter. Peel the top plastic layer off and reverse the dough into the prepared tart pan, lifting the sides to drape (rather than pressing/stretching the dough) the dough into the corners. Press the dough the rest of the way in and up the sides. Trim edges, which you can leave ever-so-slightly extended above the edge of the tart pan, to give you some security against shrinkage. Chill for 15 minutes in your freezer.
If par-baking the crust (see notes up top for pros/cons): Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a piece of foil and press it tightly into your firm-from-the-freezer tart shell. Fill tart shell with pie weights, dried beans or rice or pennies and blind bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully remove foil and weights, and return to oven for another 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly golden at edges. Set aside until needed.
Make filling: Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan, toss them gently with the butter and oil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook the onions for 15 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in the salt and sugar and saute without the lid for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are fully caramelized and have taken on a deep golden color. Pour in cognac, if using it, and the stock, then turn the heat all the way up and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Simmer the mixture until the broth nearly completely disappears (wetter onions will make for a wetter quiche), about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the salt, if needed, and season with freshly ground black pepper. [Updated to add.] Let cool until warm. You can hasten this process by spreading the onions out on a plate in the fridge, or even faster, in the freezer.
In a mediu bowl, beat the egg and cream together. [Update] Gently stir the lukewarm onions into the custard.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Assemble and bake tart: Fill prepared tart shell with onion-egg mixture. Ideally, this will bring your filling level to 1/4-inch from the top, however, variances in shells, pans, pan sizes and even onion volume might lead you to have a lower fill line. You can beat another egg with cream together and pour it in until it reaches that 1/4-inch-from-top line if you wish. Sprinkle cheese over custard and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the filling and turned slightly releases no wet egg mixture. Serve hot or warm, with a big green salad.
Congratulations! I can’t wait to make this wonderful tart.
ooh. that sounds good. and possibly just the thing for tomorrow night’s dinner. I’ve got a pie crust in the freezer that just needs to be rolled out and plopped into a tin. and I think all I need is Gruyere. now…..how to sell it to the little people
Yummy!! French onion soup is my fave, can’t wait to try it in a tart :) and congrats on the cookbook!
Congrats! I was getting sad that you had not posted in a while, but this beauty, and your newest book release make it all better!
Yummy. CAn you replace tart pan with glass pie pan?
Petra — A pie pan can be used (I mention this in the recipe). If glass, you’ll probably want to bake it at 25 degrees lower temperature.
I’m so relieved it finally came out in the UK. I preordered it at Christmas for sister-in-law in London and emailed me this weekend to tell me it arrived and she was thrilled! Whew!
I love quiche, but have never yet met one that bakes up in the time required. Is this really only a 30 minute bake? The last quiche I made said 30 minutes and it took well over an hour! Any idea what I am doing wrong? And yes, I think my oven temperature is accurate. It’s a relatively new stove and every other recipe has worked.
Can you really get so much onions to fully caramelize for just 10-15 minutes?! Is there some trick? It always takes me a bit more than an hour when I’m making the french onion soup (and I mean this step only)…
Marina — The trick is in the recipe — it’s the part where you lid the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. They’re quite soft by then and half-cooked. I got this trick from Julia Child’s recipe, and it always works.
Lisa — This totally will (in a 9-inch round tart pan; a deeper one will take longer). There’s a lot of onions and just one egg. It sets quickly at 400.
daphne — No, not yet! I tried to make it to one of his events when he was in NYC a couple months ago promoting his book, but I had this pesky bronchitis thing… may not have been made to feel welcome. ;)
This looks easy enough and so good! My daughter is making some butternut squash soup for us tonight and I’m thinking this would be a nice complement. Finally, we get some of your travel impressions. I’d like to hear more! You’re a talented writer…so write, already!
Love the UK version of the book as well! (Is it weird, that I kinda want both? Haha)
By the way, made your olive and ricotta cake a few weeks ago and it was a hit. I served it with a lime-cardamom frozen yogurt and a simple (frozen) berry coulis. Hmm!
Yum. I love all things onion-based.
My daughter got delivery of your book this morning! I’m looking forward to my next visit to her so I can see it! It looks amazing! Congratulations!
for what its worth, I would love an english muffin that tastest like rye bread =)
Onions, cheese, and crust–three of my top-five favorite foods. I will have to try this!
I received the UK edition last week and it’s wonderful! I also have the US version (I couldn’t wait), but I must admit to preferring the cover of the UK copy. Well done Deb, I’m positive it will be a huge success here and I’ve already seen it in one of the supermarket magazines (Waitrose). Now, when are you coming to Edinburgh? (Only joking…kind of).
Curious how hamentashen were decided on for the cover. Don’t get me wrong, the cover is gorgeous; like stained glass. It’s just I’d never think to put them on a cover for the UK. My dad is originally from London and we have family that’s still there. Not the most Jew-friendly place out there — not anti-semitic, just, well, it’s no New York City. That being said, did you ever notice how Nigella features “Jewish” foods in her cookbooks? I was just looking at a cookbook last week that featured “Jewish chicken soup” and my friend Sara has her cookbook about holiday foods and she features some pretty obscure Jewish holidays…Congrats on the newest publication. I’m blown away by the mosaic photo. Where in this great country of ours was that taken?
Deb – congratulations on winning the Food52 Piglet! That’s so awesome. You must be really happy about that accomplishment. Also, congrats on your book’s release in the UK and Australia.
This looks phenomenal!
Any suggestions for a gluten free tart crust, though? It looks like only the flour in the crust (and maybe the broth, depending) would stop this from being a great GF meal.
My husband spotted your book here in London last week, and snapped it up immediately. We’ve already made two meals from it, and I’m really looking forward to finishing up the leftover meatballs/meatloaf for dinner this evening! Thanks for writing such a brilliant book.
I love the recipe in your book for the French onion toasts. They have been my go to recipe to take to a party for the last couple of months. I must confess that I always save some of the onions and make myself a totally decadent grilled cheese the next day. So, it goes without saying that I will be trying this recipe soon as well.
BTW…Love the cover on the UK version of your book!
I have been waiting for the book ever since I discovered your blog and it will finally arrive in a couple of days! I cannot wait to try the recipes out! I am sure they will be delish!
How delicious! I was devastated to find out that you were in NC the day before you arrived. Alas, wedding planning and prepping took priority. :(
I can’t wait to make this (I am in the “want more than soup” meal category)!
My copy of the UK edition of your book arrived last week and I spent all weekend savouring it – it must have been such a big job to ‘translate’ everything into UK-English! It’s beautiful, huge congratulations Deb!
Congrats on your UK release — I know your book will be a hit. Sorry if this is a silly question but will only 1 egg hold the filling together? Thanks.
As someone who flies out of Salt Lake far more than I ever wish to, I demand to know the purveyors of the above mentioned breakfast burrito.
Well, a gentle demand. More a kind request, really. And I hope you had a good time in my city :)
I made something very similar recently, but the leftover cheese I had in my fridge was an aged goat cheese (crottin); what an awesome combination of sweet onions and nutty cheese!
Congrats on your UK book release! This tart sounds fabulous – I love anything and everything “french onion.”
I’m taking a class at Sur La Table centered around your cookbook next month and I can’t wait!
I am not a fan of onions, but this tart is so beautiful I might be swayed.
To Laura at Blogging over Thyme: I want the UK version too, so you’re in good company!! :)
Deb, Congratulations on the UK/Australia cookbook release! Is there an easy way for us Americans to get ahold of the UK version here in the U.S.?
This might be a stupid question, but if you use beans or rice for your weights can you use them for eating still or does it make it impossible for them to cook properly?
I have been contemplating pie weights for years, so it would be nice to know about all of the alternatives.
Seanna — Not a stupid question. It makes them harder to cook. It’s best to buy some cheap ones for this purpose, and reuse them forever. I think pie weights are a silly investment and I know this because I bought them, twice! My TWO packets together still didn’t fill a standard pie shell. Frustrated, I dumped rice in and have been using this strange medley since.
Laura — You’d have to order it through Amazon.co.uk or another UK retailer that ships overseas.
Little Kitchie — Hooray! I’m finishing your bookplates as we speak. ;)
Jessica — It was… this Tex-Mex place next to the McDonalds. It did not look promising. But they not only have breakfast burritos, they had breakfast enchiladas, tacos AND huevos rancheros. I cannot tell you how much this makes my heart go pitter-pat. It was seriously incredible for airport food and I want another. Right now.
Molly — I actually have no idea. For the US cover, we did 17 versions before finalizing it and I was involved at every point. There was hemming, hawing, tears, conference calls, ugh. For this, they sent me one cover, and I liked it. (A close-up of the Gooey Cinnamon Squares.) Then they sent me this and I liked it more, so there was little to discuss.
crust is chilling in the freezer now. My goal is to use ONLY what I have on hand. H. cream was bad, but crème fraiche to the rescue. Using chicken stock-& Fontina cheese its either that or goat. Hmm.
As for weights–try sugar! I reuse mine till I get the toasted Sugar (Stella Parks, Brave Tart) and then use the sugar in recipes (a blitz in the processor reduces clumps).
That is way cool. I have a number of UK friend I know who would love your book (and this recipe). I’m forwarding this to them for there enjoyment. :-)
Yum, this looks like (savory) tart heaven!
This tart looks super tasty! And I love the UK cover! :)
Yum! Going on my to-do list. Typo alert: Under “Make crust” I think you meant to say “Mix flour and SALT together” not flour and butter.
I just made a quiche this weekend too, also inspired by the bleak contents of my fridge. It’s that time of year! Yours looks amazing. Great to meet you in Salt Lake City last week.
Hi Deb, I own a copy of your US cookbook (pre-ordered from Amazon way back when), and now I feel like I have to buy the UK one as well! Ugh, I love the UK cover MUCH more than the US one… and I’m not a fan of dust jackets as well. Have you met Ottolenghi?!
Congrats on the UK book release! Love the cover – the colors, the lightened up look, the pretty Hamantaschen and how cool you can sort of tweak things, i.e. aubergine/eggplant, the measurements, etc for that market and audience. Wish you tons of sales$$, Deb! Congrats!
Don’t any guys admit to perusing this site? Love the recipes and I try them on occasion.
Oops! Didn’t notice Scott and Averie first time round. Sorry
WoW! I think I may be able to convince my carnivorous hubby to give this a try! We suffer from “If it’s not meat, it’s not a meal” -itis at our house. A steak salad alongside and we may be set!
Hoping to see you at your Minneapolis event tomorrow, if the weather cooperates. Hope you have a great event and our city treats you well!
Well someone needs to like flying! haha This tart looks lovely! Congrats on the UK release!
yay for UK release. I feel same way about cooking sometimes- just want to order something and call it a night-
Jerry, there are many ;)
Although I’d rather start doing my own French quiche now, I’d still have a desire to look into your book. Congratulations, hope to find one on my shells soon.
Greetings from already spring-warm Croatia!
Great to hear the UK version has launched and I love the cover and am pleased to hear it has aubergines, not eggplants (and courgettes rather than zucchini, rather than crust etc., I hope) and grams rather than cups. Mind you, I have become pretty good at converting in my head and amaze my friends with my abilities in this area since discovering so many great US food blogs! I am off to order my copy now! Before I go, I make a very similar tart to this and love it. I am a fan of blind baking every time! I think it is worth the extra time for the superior result.
So interesting to see the difference in covers. Very cool!
Dear lord in heaven, that tart looks amazing. I think I would like some grilled brats on the side too. And a salad. And a beer.Or wine. No, a beer.
Congratulations on your cross-pond success!
Congrats! Coincidentally, my friend and I had to look up the meaning of courgettes because it was a flavor of cupcake that we were going to order for our first time in London!
By the way, this recipe looks so good. There’s nothing better than a savory vegetable tart! Coincidentally, my blog post today is my version of your amazing Buttermilk Roast Chicken. To die for!
Congrats! Coincidentally, my friend and I had to look up the meaning of courgettes because it was a flavor of cupcake that we were going to order for our first time in London!
By the way, this recipe looks so good. There’s nothing better than a savory vegetable tart! Coincidentally, my blog post today is my version of your amazing Buttermilk Roast Chicken. To die for! (http://vintagezest.blogspot.com/2013/03/buttermilk-roast-chicken.html)
Ahhh definitely sold me on the onion tart. Thought it looked good when I first glanced at it, but after all those practical reasons? Yeah, I’ve gotta be making this soon. And congrats about the UK release! Looks beautiful– love the ottolenghi and rachel khoo praise on the front ;)
Ooh, yum. I keep wanting to make french onion soup SO BAD, but I don’t have the right bakeware. Looks like this might be a good middle ground, until I can find some oven-safe soup bowls.
Is cream always present in your fridge? I was with you on seeing this as a “staples” recipe, but then I saw the cream. I’ve heard of people freezing cream, and it seems like it would work for a recipe like this, but I’m not sure about baking applications (I know it won’t work for whipped applications). Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
Kristi — I do seem to have it around a lot. I also tend to buy the stuff that seems to have at least one month before it expires. (Not the freshest or most delicious, but always practical.)
Ohhh, dear. Help me. I think I’m falling in love with this tart. I wish I had ANY hope of getting the other four people at my table to even consider eating this. And any hope that I wouldn’t devour the whole thing in one sitting. Swoon.
Beautiful cover! And congrats on the UK and Australia release!!
I need this tart in my life. Simply beautiful :)
so i bought a bag of onions at the market the other day, forgetting that i already HAD a bag of onions at home in the fridge, and so have been hunting around for a good onion tart recipe……and here it is. thank you! will be making this tonight!
hi deb,
off topic: completely addicted to your chocolate sablès.
am very jealous re:flying, as i am scared to death of it and my family has to literally drag me on a plane. claustrophobia problem. shall try next time to be inspired by your enthusiasm:)best from faraway berlin,anja
It was so nice to meet you in Atlanta! I legit thought your jokes were funny. :) If you ever make it back, I’d love to recommend some restaurants for you -ATL has really grown up food-wise. I hope you got a decent dinner!
And now I’m craving caramelized onions… mmmm!
Deb! I’m so excited you’re coming to my fair city, and so disappointed that I have to miss your author talk to…teach a cooking class. Enjoy the beautiful Central Library, and if you get a chance, eat one of Matt’s Bar’s famous Jucy Lucys…you won’t regret it.
Getting on to Amazon straight away. Hurrah! Now – when are you coming to London Town to promote? We have SERIOUS clouds here…
Beautiful! Must make this soon. I bought a ten pound bag of onions early on in January and I’m just finishing it up. But this looks perfect and I’ve got some butter that I should use up. Weekend baking project for sure.
PS got the cookbook for Christmas, its wonderful, although I had some trouble shaping my hamantashen for Purim, but maybe thats just because its my first time making hamantashen… And you did quite well in the piglet contest over on Food52, which must be exciting. I hope you’re enjoying your whirl wind book tour! Where are you off to next?
Just ordered the UK/AUST edition – just this minute. Super excited to have it delivered. Thank you so much for your lovely blog + beautiful recipes. I know I will use + use + use again your cookbook.
Louisville can’t wait to see you!!! So grateful you are coming here!
Oh my goodness! I cannot wait to get the UK edition! Please tell me you’ll be book touring here too! :) x
I made your Leek and Mushroom Quiche last weekend and we really enjoyed it, very tasty! If this one is as good, it will be very good too.
The UK edition looks great! I kinda wish I has is so I did not have to to math every time I cook out of my American edition, but my book is all that more special because I did not wait to move back home to buy it, as it is signed by you!
Hi Deb,
I love your blog and was SO EXCITED to get your cookbook in the post here in the UK. I pre-ordered it on Amazon months and months ago and when I got the package (which could only be a cookbook) I didn’t know it would be your book. What a wonderful surprise for me! The hamantaschen look amazing! A random thing, but apart from UK measurements, I also love how the book refers to pounds (£) rather than dollars ($). It’s rare that a publisher/author bothers to make these changes for a UK audience, we feel loved!
Anyway, I am thrilled to have the book and am enjoying your prose as much as the photos (though no doubt not as much as I will enjoy devouring the food I will make!).
Thank you! Vanessa (from London)
I was so happy when my Amazon delivery guy handed over my copy on Saturday, I’d totally not been expecting it, so it was a pleasant surprise. So when’s the UK tour then? :oD
Hi Deb,
Congrats on all the success of your cookbook! I have been reading your blog for the past few years and really enjoy the recipes and photos. Will you be coming to Australia? I am a native NYer who lives in Sydney. I would def go to your book signing and be happy to show you the sights if you had time. It is gorgeous here, the food is very fresh and people love to cook. I hope you make it down under.
Cheers ~ Suzy Q down under
REALLY looking forward to seeing you in Minneapolis tomorrow night! Thanks for the 2nd leg of the book tour!
Lovely post – I was wondering if you plan to have a comment section on your blog for recipes from your cookbook? The comment section is very helpful when making your recipes especially for when readers sub an ingredient or provide another opinion on how it turns out. Thanks! Lauren
P.S. Thanks so much for your Caesar salad dressing, waffles and broccoli pesto recipes. Esp the Caesar salad, I’ve already made it like 50 times.
This sounds great! I’m going to put it in the queue. Tonight, however is gnocchi in tomato broth, which is currently simmering away nicely on the stove. Now off to make the gnocchi, my first try at this. Wish me luck!
I’m in Australia (from New Zealand originally) & saw your book in the bookstore the other day – was quite excited! Although I brought my copy online months and months ago & have already made 1/2 a dozen recipes from i! (Not great at delaying gratification, haha). Definitely going to try this tart too, looks delicious.
Man, that UK cover is gorgeous. I almost want to buy it just for the cover.
I can’t wait to make this. I love quiche.
YES! Obviously I ordered your US addition, (because waiting until February would have been torture), yet I was still SO excited to have the UK version in my hands yesterday. I really love the cover and the fact that you’ve gotten praise from Ottolenghi and Rachel Khoo! Congratulations. :) Waitrose mag chose your book as book of the month (do you know what they wrote? if not, I can type it up for you, it’s very sweet) and Sainsbury’s mag featured your chocolate hazelnut crepe cake in their cake feature in their April issue!
So now we are all just waiting for you to come on over. :)
P.S On a post-related note, this looks delicious. My motto is ‘all good things start with an onion’ so this is exactly my kind of tart.
I’m so excited to finally have your cookbook in my hands. Come to England!
Awesome~! Appreciate the little changes that make it more Aussie-friendly – thank you! ;)
I was devastated when I arrived home from uni on Wednesday to find a missed delivery card. Luckily I was there to pick it up when they tried again Thursday – I’ve been devouring both the book and the food inside it ever since! The potato frittata was delicious (even without bacon), the chicken milanese was lovely for both dinner and lunch the next day, and the gooey cinnamon squares were, to quote a friend, “So good I’m considering getting down on one knee”. Congratulations on a fantastic book :)
Who do we need to harass/beg/bribe for you to bring your book tour down under? Do it for your fans Deb! We’ll come bearing gifts, promise!
Oh sometimes it’s like you read my mind! I am in love with the french onion toasts and have made them several times since the cookbook came out (always a huge hit!)…but just the other day I had a hankering for a quiche and had not connected the dots until I saw your recent post. swoon. Congrats on the UK version it makes me want to buy another copy :)
I too have a pretty bleak fridge right now. I am moving to NYC this spring, and was wondering which CSA you use? I’m looking to sign up so I can have pretty, fresh veggies all summer long.
I have the US edition, but I love the UK cover!
Congrats on the further release of your book! I can’t wait to make this recipe. What a brilliant idea to take the French onion soup (my favorite!) and transform it into a tart! I’ve been busy trying my hand at (mostly sweet) breakfasts; now I’ll have something savory to add to the mix!
Thanks for the tip- I’ll check out this random airport tex-mex place the next time I fly out! Weird how you can live in a place for so long and still find surprises :)
And by weird, I of course mean wonderful.
I preordered your book the moment I moved to England, and about a week ago it arrived. Beautiful book with sweet anecdotes and delicious recipes. I have already made one of the salads, and used another as inspiration for a sandwich. I love it! My only regret is that only a few days after getting the book in the mail, I saw a signed copy in a local bookshop. And I am a sucker for signed copies. Here’s to hoping you will make a book tour in Britain! :)
Looks delicious! I’ll definitely be making this soon. And I ordered my UK/Aus version a couple of days ago, I’m just waiting for it to arrive, I was going to order the US one, but the thought of doing conversions all the time did my head in.
hi Deb,
re: Petra’s comment (#5) and your response (#6), it doesn’t look like you mention using a pie pan in the recipe. I just mention it in case you had some more notes you had meant to add.
Also, this looks amazing and I’ll be trying it tomorrow night!
Ottolenghi wrote a quote for you?! Damn, you’re legit!
This tart sounds heavenly. Caramelized onions are such a treat and with the bubbly cheese on top this is irresistible! Congratulations on the continued book success!
On having cream in the pantry – HOORAY for Trader Joe’s Shelf Stable Heavy Cream in little 8 ounce tetra packs. I buy as many as I can get my hands on and am delighted every time I pull them out of the pantry for a recipe!
Your pictures are always so beautiful. Fantastic recipe.
I just put my order in to Book Depo for the UK / Aus edition! cant wait to get it!
Any thoughts on substituting half-and-half? I always have that around for my tea. I’m sure it would probably be fine, right?
Substituting for cream — Yikes, meant to put this in the recipe but you can totally use half-and-half or even milk, whole is better. All will work. The more fat, the better/smoother/richer the tart will taste.
JC — I saw that there the other day (see? I’m warming to the place…) and thought it was really brilliant. I’d still prefer fresh stuff for most uses, but how great would it be to have that (and shelf-stable milk) as back-up so you didn’t have to run to the store if you were out of what you needed?
LMB — Sorry for the confusion. I mention alternative pans in the recipe’s second paragraph, not the most usual place, I know.
Rachel — I don’t use a CSA because I have the freedom to go to the farmers markets around here (and around here, there’s at least one open in every neighborhood every day of the year) whenever I need something. There are plenty around, though.
Alexis — Oh no! I will just have to come back to Chicago to see you. :)
is it obsessive to fly all the way to england to pick up the uk copy of your cookbook? maybe. but i’ve been looking for an excuse to go back…
you make chopping and crying look worth it with this gorgeous onion tart. truth.
That looks delicious; like every other vegetarian recipe you have. It’s hearty, it’s flavorful, and there’s nary a hint of rabbit food in them (heck, I even check the non-vegetarian recipes to see if there’s a slight tweak I can make, or perhaps take a part of it and incorporate it into something I do.)
Oh, and the divine Mexican place you speak of from Salt Lake Airport is Cafe Rio. It’s a chain started in Utah, and most of the franchises are located in the West. However, there are a few that recently opened in VA and MD. Ah-ma-zing!
Thanks, Deb! I figured as much, but thought you might know something we didn’t know as far as availability. Times like these make me wish I had a friend in England to mail me a copy!!!
This looks lovely. A gussied up version of my familie’s “Onion Pie.” Yum, yum. Nice work, Deb.
Please. What is shelf stable cream? I consider cream a staple.
I do so love french onion soup, and I do tend to feel like, even though we do eat it for a meal, it’s never really enough. I can’t wait to try your tart! I really wish I could come to a signing, but we live in South Florida, so not this time around, I guess!
Oh dear, MN is going to get a lot of snow, like we are here in Iowa! Hope travel and book signing plans are not disrupted!
This tart looks fabulous! Perfect for Sunday brunch :)
Oh, Deb. I was in Istanbul when you came to Chicago in November and I was all set to take the bus to/from Minneapolis to see you tomorrow night, but am afraid I will have to cancel the trip due to the big storm that’s forecast for tomorrow. :(
Simpsons’ clouds!!! That’s what WE call them, too!
I cannot carmelize an onion to save my life–although I LURVE them. I burn them every. single. time. I follow the directions, turn around, and *poof* black onions. :-(
Do I have to babysit them for 30 minutes?? Any tips for an onion burner?
Thanks, Deb. And congratulations on the book!!!
Jules
Deb, I fear my comment is too late to get a response, and it does not relate to the recipe, BUT I’ve noticed over several posts that you and I have the same cookware (All Clad MC2?). Your pans always look so clean and new in your photos, whereas mine are marred with grease and scorch marks on their exteriors. How do you clean your pans?
Also, PLEASE come back to Chicago! I missed you while you were here too!
I can’t wait to try this – it looks delicious. And I am so excited to meet you in Minneapolis tomorrow night! If you need someone to take you for Jucy Lucy’s at Matt’s Bar, I would be happy to volunteer!
I’m another loyal fan who is looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, no matter how deep the snow. My son has asked me to say thank you for the dutch baby recipe. I have to do it now because I’ll be far too nervous tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have the courage to show you the photo of the 3, 5 & 7 year olds taking over the kitchen and taking directions from the cookbook. Thank you so much.
I was wondering what kind of kitchen knife/knives you use and do you recommend it?
Hi Deb, saw you at Quail Corners in Raleigh. Fan girl squeal! I made the gooey cinnamon squares last night. My guys love snicker doodles, but this cake was so much more wonderful and not much more work. I am enjoying working my way through your book.
Deb,
I’m assuming you made it to Minneapolis/St.Paul since you wrote this at 30,000ft.? Why is it that there has to be a big snow storm when I have big plans?! Ugh. I hope the weather will let up by noon so I can still make it in. I’m coming f/Osceola, WI, about an hour drive…I made your Tomato Glazed Meatballs w/the Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes for dinner tonight! It was all so good!!! My Hubby is happy to have leftovers while I’m gone. I’m the Flight Attendant that has been waiting for you to come to MSP and so excited to meet you tomorrow!!! As far as Jucy Lucy’s go, I’ve been to “Matt’s Bar” in Mpls, and I think “The Nook” in St.Paul w/the “Nookie Burger” has them beat by far! It was voted the “Best Burger” in Mpls/St.Paul! If you’re in the mood for the best desserts ever, you have to check out “Cafe Latte” on Grand Ave in St.Paul! Layer cakes, Cheesecakes, Tarts, Cookies, they have it. They are known for their “Turtle Cake” and it is my favorite w/extra caramel sauce! Welcome to Minnesota!
Hi Deb! I loved your talk and Q&A in Atlanta! A bar seemed like an unconventional location for a book signing, but hey, if beer and an entirely-too-large plate of nachos isn’t great, what is? By the way, I did try the blueberry cornmeal cake, and it is every bit as delicious as the boy bait (but without that extra stick of butter). Just wanted to let you know that you were every bit as amusing and adorable in real life as you come across in this blog!
Love this twist on the classic french onion soup! It look delicious!
Congrats on your success! It must be many sorts of fun to be able to travel and have people worship you like that…
The tart is GORGEOUS!… but I don’t think I need to tell you that ;)
This post made me smile! I’m from Salt Lake City, but saw you in Portland, OR. Where can you possible get good burritos in our airport?! Seriously, now I have to know—-I don’t consider SLC a really “foodie” town…
And the tart looks amazing. Onions are your friend.
This is in the oven as I type. I was planning on making French Onion soup tonight, but this sounded better :) I’ve made the caramelized onion and cauliflower tart several times (wild mushoroom tart from the book is next – so excited!) and I’ve NEVER had a crust that works well. I always have to pick up pieces and mush them together in my pan. It always tastes good, but it is annoying. Any tips on getting the crust to come together better?
I love love love French Onion Soup, So I can imagine I’d love this just as much!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to eat it all (probably without sharing!).
I SO love quiches and am always looking for new recipes and ingredients combinations! This looks truly awesome and would make for a great lunch to make the day before!
Oh, and I just wanted to let you know that Italy wants an Italian translation of your cookbook!!
xo, Elisa
Ahhhhhhh, this is mildly (read: very) annoying!
I’m in NZ, and didn’t know that you would be releasing a UK/Aus version of your book, so I went ahead and purchased your US one…. kind of wish I’d known before hand so making your awesome recipes could have been easier for me!
Still, a great book
OH MY! I LOVE the uk cookbook cover! I might have to pay uk amazon a visit…
I’m sorry, I’m just really really curious to know which cover do you like more??
This is not a criticism of you or your book in any way, but a message directly to the publisher: I feel manipulated and creeped out when marketers culturally tailor things – in any direction. Referring to the mention of eggplants being re-named aubergines in the aussie manner.
An enormous part of the pleasure and power of bloggers is a direct response to the fact that they inject desperately-needed authenticity into a world choked of life by over-marketing strategies like this one. It is ALL about the authenticity.
How am I supposed to benefit from the beauty of cultural exchange if two people who live under a rock are being coddled because they can’t be bothered to look up eggplant, or aubergine, as the case may be?
Hello Deb, congratulation on the cookbook, I have it here iin my hands and it’s a total delight – and I love the cover. I am such a huge fan of your blog and had pre ordered the cookbook to arrive as soon as it was released here in the UK. There are so many things to try. Love it. Now a book signing in Glasgow on the cards? :D
Just received your book yesterday, I am so excited to try all the recipes. My French husband flipped through it and said “Ca à l’air BON tout ca!!!” :-)
I may just need to buy this again! I’m in Australia, and I ordered your cookbook over Amazon in my excitement – but having a version with weights and spoonfuls would make it even easier!
PS – this tart looks amazing.
Looks interesting recipe for me. I am not really fond of onions but this seems an exciting one to try.
Congratulations on the uk release!
P.S. The tart looks amazing!
Come to London! Please! You get to spend even longer on a plane and we get to laugh at your jokes … it’s an irresistible combination …
Deb! I am so happy the UK version was released! Have just bought it!!! Grazie!!!
Oh that’s so cool, didn’t realise there would be a UK version, so glad I didn’t rush to buy the original version (sorry!) but will definitely treat myself to this now (it’s mother’s day here on Sunday so a mother’s day treat to myself!). I love the cover. You should definitely do a UK book tour!!
I remember with fondness the breakfeast burrito I had when I visited the states last time (I’m from Denmark). It was a beef, egg, beans and cheese burrito and it was the stuff of legends! I’ve yet to find a great recipe – “Help Me, Obi-Wan Perelman, You’re My Only Hope.”
Oops ! There was a comment before the above post : “Love your blog! You might want to try the recipe for Pissaladière which is a traditional one from the south of France. I’m franco-american and love to delve into cooking from both sides of the Atlantic.
Sounds like a trip to Aus is in order, eh? We’ll take good care of you if you decide to visit!
This looks lovely! I love your caramelized onions in the emmentaler on rye recipe from your cookbook, so I’ll have to try these!
If you’re looking for a go-to savory tart crust, you might want to try Martha Rose Shulman’s yeasted olive oil tart crust. It’s a different sort of tart crust, easy to work with, and yummy with savory quiches, tarts, galettes.
And thanks for all the yummy recipes. My family’s been living off the cookbook since it came out! I started following this blog 3 years ago (the monkey bread) and just about everything has been amazing, perfect, delicious!
Looks so delicious! Would this work as a crustless quiche, for those of us who cannot do grains? Would you suggest adjusting the temperature or baking pan? Thanks so much!
I got well excited when I saw your book recommended in the Waitrose magazine (posh supermarket in the UK)! Can’t wait to get a copy! :) Well done!
Are those hamantaschen on the UK cover? DELISH. They are my new obsession. Never mind that Purim has already happened. I just made some sweet ones and some savory ones (latest recipe is up if anyone wants to make em). Those three cornered delicacies are never out of style!
these look absolutely delicious! I’ve seen so many french-onion themed foods recently and this tart looks great! I tasted french-onion dumplings, and those were delicious. I can’t wait to taste these! Congrats on the UK cookbook release!
Tart looks delicious! One thing you haven’t mentioned is what type of onions you use: sweet onions (like Vidalia) or yellow onions?
Would you publish the conversion tables you use? I Googled metric conversions and have come up with about 6 different cups-to-grams results! ARGH! The table I used the other day to make bread tells me one cup equals 140 grams. Your recipe today says it equals 125 grams. HELP!
By the way, I’ve never had a failure when working with your recipes. Thanks.
Could I make this with a 9 inch springform pan for easier unmolding?
I can’t wait to try this tart (and please come to Michigan on your tour!)
The UK book cover is beautiful…might have to get me one of those as well! Where did you have the burrito in the SLC airport? Cafe Rio? I fly in and out of SLC every 6 weeks, and I Cafe Rio makes it worth it! Good luck on your trips, I know how happy all of your fans will be to meet you!! I’m making this quiche for dinner…it will hit the spot! xo, Nan
I love the alternative cover! Gorgeous! I’m in Sweden but have a Canadian copy and am just loving it. I made the baked eggs rancheros for a ladies’ brunch a few weeks back and it was a major hit. I may need to host another brunch with this quiche!
It was a pleasure meeting you in Salt Lake! I’m glad you’re back home now, enjoying your family and cosy kitchen. Next time you’re in Utah, we’ll have to go out for a snack!
I really enjoy reading your blog and your recipes are inspiring. It is almost always something I want to make for myself! I would love to get the UK version of your book, metric system is so much better!
Deb, have you ever used a pinch of baking soda when cooking onions? It apparently speeds up the Maillard reaction (meaning caramelized onions FAST). What are your thoughts? Is it better to caramelize onions the slow way?
I got the UK edition; it’s lovely. Can’t wait to try all the yummy yummy things in it.
The onion tart looks lovely. I suspect you’re done w/ book tour, but I’m sad you didn’t get closer to me. Tempe, AZ has a great bookstore, Changing Hands, and it’s less than a two-hour drive for me (see what we would do for you?). Any chance you might get there? It’s a gorgeous time of year – 70s & sunny.
Jackie: I use this site for conversions. I’ve lived in Norway, UK, Canada and US and this has been perfect for translating measurements. Always had great results. http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking/
My husband and I ( we love to cook together) made your mussels with tarragon and oven frites for Saturday night’s dinner – sooo good. And to think I once thought cooking mussels was scary! Short ribs tonight to face the 10″ of snow we’re expected to get. Thanks for sharing what you do.
WOW, Deb. This sounds (and looks) absolutely perfect. French onion soup is one of my favorite dishes, and I think this adaptation will showcase the flavors and prove to be a great dinner (or brunch as you suggested). Can’t wait to try it!
Also, congrats on the UK/Australia edition of your book! I have been reading through the US version and it is so lovely.
This looks sinfully good. Holy moly tart.
Well, here is your first spoiler comment…. Sorry… A white crust just doesn’t do it for me. It needs to be golden to almost brown and crispy around the edges. Which means you need to remove the foil for the last 5 min. or so. Also, one egg? I use one large onion sliced and halved on a mandolin, and at least 2 eggs with cream. After all, it isn’t an individual serving. Sometimes I even use 2 plus an extra yolk and a little more cream. I also fill the precooked pie shell (8 min) with the custard in the oven to prevent spills on the way from sink counter to oven… I do like the addition of cognac. I shall try that. If I have it, I sometimes add some diced pancetta or lardons at the bottom with the onion.
This looks lush!! Going to make this!!
Hi there from the UK!!
I received your book last week and I LOVE it!! So much so I was up so late reading through it and woke up the next morning with the book still in my hand! Soooo glad it was released in the UK and cannot wait to get started cooking all your marvellous recipes. Will you be coming over to this side of the pond to do a signing?? I think you should if you haven’t already planned a trip!
Happy cooking :)
Congrats on your book! I’ve always wanted to try an onion tart. Looks amazing!!
Kathy, thank you for the adjustment ideas. I wanted to make this for dinner tonight, but only have 3/4 of a large onion. Might just try this.
***Woo-Hoo…lookie here!***
I just read that you have been nominated (along side of two other people) for the Julia Child award for “First Book” in the IACP’s annual cookbook award. Congratulations! The ceremony will be in San Francisco this year. You goin?
Susan — Thank you! I wasn’t planning to as I’m doing so much travel, I wasn’t sure if it was worth the extra trip. Now, if I knew it was a sure thing (ha!) but against such fine books, I doubt it. ;)
UK vs. US Edition — Just wanted to note again that both versions have weights in grams/metrics. In the UK version, they are more thorough and include gas marks, but omit the cups-and-spoons.
Nan — Yes! A few people have said it is called Cafe Rio. Scrambled eggs, black beans, potatoes, green salsa… I was in heaven. Plus, they take it so seriously that I was discouraged from putting pico on my burrito because they were going to heat it. Swoon.
Jackie — It’s a good idea. I do use 125 for a cup of flour, because that’s how my all-purpose spoon-and-sweep cups measure out.
Karen — Yikes! I cannot believe I forgot to add that. I use yellow onions almost exclusively for this. I think they caramelize best. (Sweeter onions never seem to get as limp, red onions don’t get the same depth of flavor.)
june2 — I am sure my publishers can jump in with their own response, but the edits weren’t made to belittle anyone. My number one goal with every single recipe is to make it as easy as people to follow as possible. (Cooking should be fun, not a research project.) If if in the UK, eggplants are referred to as aubergines, why not make it easier for people to find them? By the same logic, I tend to title recipes in English even when the dish has an official name in a foreign language (i.e. spaghetti cacio e pepe), as “spaghetti with cheese and black pepper” simply makes sense to more people faster.
Erika — I haven’t but that sounds brilliant. Let us know if you try it here; I’m sure others would love to speed up the process. (And I’ll try it next time.)
Maressa — I’m so sorry for the trouble. I really did try to keep everyone in the loop by having the UK publishing details on the book’s main page the whole time. :(
Meg — I have a mix of MC2 (which I deeply, deeply disliked as I felt that it wasn’t made clear that one run in the dishwasher could ruin their exteriors forever) and Stainless. I much prefer the latter. Even after 100 times in the dishwasher, they look exactly like the day they came home. The skillet I use here is from the MC2 line, as you can tell by the musty exterior. (The interiors on both lines are stainless, and wear about the same.)
Kathy — I am not sure what you meant by “spoiler” comment but all comments are welcome. That said, the most helpful critiques respond to a recipe after they’ve made it (it wasn’t clear that you had; my apologies if I misunderstood). I speak in the recipe’s headnotes about how to get a more golden crust than I did (I often cook imperfectly!). For a 9-inch tart shell with the amount of onions recommended, 1 egg plus 1/2 cup cream was all that was needed to fill it. With less onions and/or a bigger shell, I include directions about how to increase the custard.
Deb…What? You don’t want to rub elbows with the likes of Thomas Keller and the other bigs? Maybe Keller would spot you a tasting meal at the French! Come on…do it! ;)
I’m probably missing the explanation, but what are the white and beige-ish spherical things on top of the filling in one of shots?
Oh, never mind. On closer look that’s rice and I’m assuming some sort of pie weights. Couldn’t see the detail when I looked previously.
Just in time for Mother’s Day! Perfect
Hi from Dublin, Ireland have just gone to online and bought your book when I read it was out now on this side of the Atlantic! Can’t wait for the postman to arrive!And you should definitely come to Dublin….you must have some Irish family somewhere along the line??? Congrats on the book.
I’m in Oz but have the original cookbook- it is so well written it seemed to me unnecessary to make another edition for down under. Everybody here knows both Aubergine and eggplant as well as courgette and zucchini. I think the French names are a bit of an affectation, really. Everybody here reads American cookbooks and while we may grind our teeth when we read localisms like “stick of butter” and “Jello” we actually do manage to cook from the recipes. It’s just that we feel bad that Americans seem so provincial in this regard. “Cooks of the world UNITE” The other thing that makes us feel “left out” is that all the recipes are in the completely opposite season, so we must file them away for 6 months by which time we’ve forgotten them. I can’t think of a solution for THAT problem! Anyway, I look forward to your posts and your international sensitivities…
This sounds like my dinner tonight!!! Love French onion.
I have beans that I’ve been using since before 1992, when we moved to Texas, for blind baking.
Have you tried vodka instead of water in your pie crusts? You can work them almost immediately and they are nice and flaky.
Can’t wait to try the onion tart.
Ooooooh myyyyyyyy. Two great tips in one recipe! Freezing the crust before lining it with foil (I tried that once without freezing the crust, and ended up with nicely parbaked holes in it–yes that is the gnashing of teeth you hear). Then the tip about covering the onions for the first half of the caramelizing. Dang. Wish I’d known that 50 years ago. I’m serious! Thank you thank you thank you.
BTW, I think most people coming off a long trip don’t want to cook right away. There’s the unpacking, laundering, grocery shopping, jet lag while resetting the body clock to local time, going through all the mail, unpacking, laundering. I’ve learned to leave the house in great shape so housework isn’t added to the must do as soon as I hit the house list. Hope you were able to eat at your favorite restaurant, especially that first night!
Wow, this sounds so delicious! Can you make the recipe ahead of time and keep in the fridge before baking? My in-laws are coming over to babysit Thursday night and I’d love to have something on hand for them for dinner. Would it work to just have them pull it out of the fridge and pop in the oven? Thanks!
Hurrah! A UK version! Though I’m Irish and living in Dublin it’ll be so easy to buy now, so quick to arrive and so fantastically metric! Just lovely. Wow, I see Ottolenghi’s quote – unbelievable… and yet, of course, so, so believable!
I heard your flight was delayed when I was watching Twin Cities Live this afternoon. Hope your travel is safe and you make it in time for your book signing!
I used to live in Salt Lake, but I don’t remember ever having burritos at the airport. Seemed too scary before taking off to fly… However, there is a fabulous Mexican place very NEAR to the airport called Red Iguana (and now Red Iguana 2… I don’t remember which one is closer) should you find yourself back there, I highly recommend it. I live in California now (surrounded by fabulous Mexican food of all price ranges and ranges of quality and taste) and I still crave Red Iguana’s pumpkin seed mole (actually all of the mole I’ve had there has been phenomenal). It’s just so frickin’ good and I haven’t had anything quite like it since. I can’t speak to their breakfast burritos (if they have any… I never went there for anything but dinner). It’s not exactly a foodie destination, that town, but there is a hell – excuse me, I must mean heck – of a lot of great places to eat and it’s getting better every year. Oh, now here I am missing the Wasatch Front.
Congratulations Deb! I’m a huge fan – you can read my review of your UK version here:
http://robsfoodblog.com/2013/03/05/smitten-kitchen-cookbook/
It’s a fantastic book and belongs in every kitchen where yummy things are made!
Breakfast burrito!!!! You got me there!! Please post a recipe for this!
Hello, my first time commenting here. I actually made this for dinner tonight – the onion tart looks amazing sitting on my dinner table, but it took me two tries for the tart dough. I made the pastry as per your recipe but holy cow it would not even come together – is 2 cups of flour correct? I have never made pie dough but could tell almost immediately it would be too dry and never come together. Do you refrigerate the dough after combining it? When I tried rolling it out it turned into crumbs. I found a similar recipe for tart dough, except using 1 1/4 cup flour and same portions of everything else – the tart turned out amazing!! your onion filling was so delicious and brown and tasty – yum. Definitely will make this again…probably would taste amazing with some crumbled bacon in it too…
Have you ever made a tart with a graham cracker crust? I didn’t have any other option but to use a graham cracker. It’s actually very good! But can’t wait to try your recipe.
SUCCESS! Just had the tart minutes ago and very happy with everything about it! Followed your advice on lowering temp for glass pie pan. I did need to add more water to crust dough as it was not holding together. Thanks to you Deb, I have made caramel (brownies) and caramelized onions within the last month- both with great results! My picky 16 year old daughter loved the tart as it reminded her of French onion soup-one of her favorite dishes. Congrats on all of your releases and so so happy my college daughter requested your US book for Christmas. Because of her, I became a subscriber to your blog and cannot wait for your weekly menus! THANK you!
The thing that always strikes me about your site is how much truth and love spills over from you. It is obvious that you really care about what you are doing and the time and thought that you invest is clearly heartfelt. Makes me all warm and fuzzy and actually gives me hope for humanity. All of this through my computer and a community of people I will never meet in person. And I was just looking for some good recipes!
Hi, I haven’t been able to purchase your cookbook due to lack of excess funds, (boo hoo) but, when that day comes, I’m thinking about buying the UK/Australian version. It sounds as though conversion of measurements and temperatures shouldn’t be an issue. Also, I love (lurve!) the cover, and have Anglophilic leanings (pretensions?). If you see any downside to my plan, I would welcome the feedback!
Considering I used a word that doesn’t exist in the previous paragraph and violated about 42 writing manual rules, I have some nerve asking if you notice anything wrong with the sentence quoted below, from above. Looks like nothing’s going to stop me.
“Alas, it’s still March in New York City which means that just because I’m excited to cook doesn’t mean that there’s a lot of very exciting ingredients…”
Thank you for creating such a comforting place to escape.
HURRAH for Australian release! Although… I like the “original” US cover, words and measurements notwithstanding ;-)
I have had it on my wish list since it was released, and no-one has come up with the goods yet – but I won’t be picky whichever version I end up with. It would be GREAT to get it signed… in Sydney, Australia… (hope springs eternal!)
Question: Does the baking of the rice affect cooking it for cosumption? Or do you have rice that you use only for weighting your crusts?
I’m having a mild freak-out because you mentioned Rafiqi’s. A friend of mine frequented that place a few years ago on almost a daily basis because it was close to his work at lunchtime and it has been a dream to go visit him and eat at his cart! But alas, I’m stuck in Sweden and haven’t had the chance to visit and go around eating all the street carts and food trucks available…
(clearing throat)
I suppose this is where I should ask again, very politely, for a Europe book tour with an (inevitable :p) Paris stop… Please?? Pretty pretty please???
Thank you very much, you lovely lady in charge of Deb’s book tour!!!! :)
Eliza
ps: Deb, I don’t own an exhaustive collection of cookbooks, not even close, but still, for what it’s worth, in the 4 months I have had your book I’ve cooked/baked from it more than from any of my books. It means a great deal to me, a cookbook that I’ll come back to, again and again, feeling it’s worth every single cent, and I thought I should let you know :) You’ve done an amazing job, and you should be very very proud!!!
I’m waiting for my local bookstore to call me any day now to say my Smitten Kitchen order has arrived. I’ve been a big fan of your website for years now, not just for the amazing recipes and photography, really enjoy the preambles too. I was having lunch with my mother recently and she was raving about a granola recipe written by a very humorous lady in her tiny kitchen in NYC ;-) One copy will be winging it’s way to her. Please don’t forget Dublin on your European tour :-))))
bacon…. I might just go wild and add a smidgen of bacon….
:-D
Hi! sounds like a lovely recipe. would this work if you used 2 smaller flan tins?
This is probably the stupidest question ever: Do you have to throw away the rice or is it usable after the par-baking? And what abour beans? Are they usable after par-baking?
In case you haven’t tried it, my favorite savory tart dough is from Dave Lebovitz French Tomato Tart recipe (also my go-to summer tart for all those heirloom tomatoes). Every one of your dishes that I’ve made has turned out beautifully. Thank you!
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/05/french-tomato-tart-recipe/
I made this last night and it was incredible. I didn’t have any Gruyere so I used Mozzarella and some Parmesan. My husband ate half the pie! He loves French onion soup and said it was like the soup in pie form. Will definitely be making this again.
Hi there, just wanted to say I saw your beautiful UK version of the book in one of the biggest cookbook-stores in Amsterdam, The Netherlands today! Will go back for it once it fits in my budget. It looked really pretty, and the recipes sound delicious!
Here I am again, forgot to say that your book was actually in the window of the shop! So guess the store-owners like it too :)
Hi there! Congratulation to your book release abroad. Any plans on a German version of your book or maybe a book release in India?
I grew up with the northern french Onion Tart, it is a dish that I make frequently myself. Your version however is a bit different and I am looking forward to try your recipe with the Cognac (brillaint by the way!).
All the best.
I made this last night and thought it was delicious, but had a few problems that I haven’t seen in the comments abov: 1) It still took me over an hour to carmalize the onions, even with covering them. What am I doing wrong? Does the heat need to be higher? 2) My egg mixture sat right on top of the onions and didn’t integrate like your (amazingly beautiful) photo. Could I cool the onions and mix with the egg before adding to the crust? 3) My boyfriend wants meat in it… what would you think of tiny bits of pancetta? Would that be overpowering?
Thank you so much for your beautiful photos, your interesting writing, and your cooking inspiration!
I cannot wait to try this! Onions are so satisfying, and especially delicious after caramelization. I had a creamy onion soup recently that left me dreaming of onion-based foods, and I cannot get the thought out of my head.
How do you get the quiche to come out of the tin so perfectly? I admit I always cook mine in a glass pie pan, but I would be terribly afraid to ever try and remove it. I am basically a disaster when it comes to removing anything (read: cake) from its cooking container.
I’d love to hear how its done!
Thanks!
@cristina, those tart pans with removable bottoms make it so easy. If you use a glass pie pan, forget about taking it out — too hard. As far as getting cake out of pans, parchment paper combined with buttering/flouring.
Deb, it was really fun to see/hear you at the Minneapolis Library last night. Sometimes I get the crazy idea that I’m the only one who knows about you here and then I saw the huge crowd and remembered just how popular you are!
You seemed to recognize someone in the middle of the front row and I thought you indicated she was a chef or cooking writer — who was it?
Sandy Kay — Thank you! I should have properly introduced her (I hadn’t checked first if she wished to be embarrassed!). In the front row was Zoe Francois, who you may know from her blog, Zoe Bakes and one half of the duo behind the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day books, which are absolutely amazing if you’re into breadmaking but think it will take too much time for a weekday.
cristina — To be able to unmold a tart, you need a removable bottom tart pan, a springform or to use a pastry ring. A one-piece pie pan or cake tin will not let you unmold the tart with any ease.
aretephora — Sorry that you had trouble with the tart. I’m surprised it took so long for the onions to caramelize — did you definitely use yellow onions, and not, say, white, or a large Spanish onion? The latter takes (me) forever to caramelize too, as the rings are so thick and firm. You can definitely cool the onions and bit and then mix in the egg/cream mixture. I usually do this, but found it faster this time to just pour it on top. If your onions insist upon staying on the bottom, you can use a fork to gently, gently stir them with the egg custard in the shell (being careful not to make holes or tears in the crust). Pancetta would be delicious here, I am sure.
Par-baking idiot — Not an idiot, :) but I mentioned in an earlier comment (#36) that it’s best to have a batch of rice or beans just for par-baking purposes. It will take forever to cook otherwise, and likely not taste very good (if you’ve used it more than once).
Tran — Yes, but for a dessert, not a quiche. They don’t hold liquids particularly well.
Thanks for another delicious recipe! I had nothing to eat and hardly any ingredients at home, so this was the perfect solution seeing as I had everything I needed in my kitchen to make it. Perfect with a side of steamed chard! I also had to bake it for at least 40 minutes, but maybe it’s my oven. Rolling out the pie crust between plastic wrap is also an awesome trick I’ve never tried!
Congrats on the success of your cookbook! This French Onion Tart looks fantastic, I love caramelizing onions.
I was so excited to see your cookbook in Waterstones in North London at the weekend – the excited yelping noise I let out got some strange looks though! I didn’t realise it was out in the UK yet but it came straight home with me and it all looks amazing. I’m so glad to see in from other posters that it is getting quite a lot of coverage over here.
French Onion Tart is one of my favourite things – might print this out and slip it into the book so it is close to hand
When are you coming to London? Your cookbook arrived the other day and I’ve already made three of the salads. My kinda food.
I love french Onion tart..it’s one of my favourite foods to cook when I want something quick and delicious. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
YAY for Australian version – it’s nice when I don’t have to run to google for every other ingredients.
I love the idea of this quiche! Can’t wait to try it…
So excited for the UK release. Please say you’ll do a UK book tour?
Deb,
Thank you so much for taking the time to put together such amazing blog. I love your recipes and your photos…. (you must be a photographer too). Anyway, I have always felt that cooking food and eating food at home is a special kind of therapy. Along those same lines creating satiating food is an art…. an art that you are perfecting.
Thank you so much for sharing your art with the rest of us.
Awesome news that your UK release date has arrived! I’ve had this on pre order for months! Hope you come over for a London book tour :o)
I had an extra ready made pie crust so I decided to give this a try. I got a little skeptical when my onions began to brown a little too quickly and were sticking to my pan. But it may have been my burners. They’re finicky. I lowered the heat to lower than recipe said and moved along. The end result from two teenage boys…second helpings!!! Success, YES!
Looks fantastic! I LOVE quiche. It’s delicate and feels fancy but still packs a real flavor punch. Enjoy your UK launch – what an exciting time :).
Funny – I just made your french onion soup today (a serious fave in our house), so I’m fresh out of onions otherwise I just might whip this up!
OMG, I just made this quiche last night for a staff meeting today and everyone, I mean everyone, raved about it. I did make a few changes – I combined this recipe with your cauliflower and onion one…I didn’t add the cauliflower or truffle oil…but I did brush the pre-baked crust with the dijon mustard and instead of broth, I added a cup of white wine to the carmelizing onions along with two bay leaves (removed after cooking) and some fresh thyme. Wow…it was the best quiche I’ve ever made!!!! Even better than the over the top mushroom one.
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. and I had some more today for breakfast. Dare I say it was better re-heated in the toaster oven? I can’t wait to eat it again tomorrow. I think my favorite part is that its mostly onion, a tiny bit of egg and cream and then cheese. I despise quiches that are mostly egg and cream and very little of the good stuff. This was all ‘good stuff’
and this tasted like french onion soup (minus the soup)
thanks for another great recipe
OMG! This looks like French onion soup – in a tart pan! I just made the soup a couple nights ago, now I need to get more onions and try this!
I’ve been amused, reading all the comments on the breakfast burrito at the Salt Lake City airport – we stopped for breakfast in early December at a mex cafe at the San Francisco airport (oddly, our destination was Salt Lake City!), had breakfast burritos. Later that evening, I so regretted it. I have NEVER in my life been so ill. I won’t describe it, but it was not pretty. Wish I had waited until we got to Salt Lake, our destination. Sounds as if the cafe in the SLC airport was a far better bet! I’m still a very enthusiastic explorer for the perfect breakfast burrito, and the best thus far has been at Maxwell’s, in Beaverton, OR. Not at all to detract from this post, either. This tart looks irresistible – my hub adores French Onion Soup – will have to give this a try.
Yum!! I guess I’ll be braving the wind & snow/rain in the morning for cream so we can have this for dinner tomorrow night! NYC in March is sooo not my favorite! I’m ready for spring and fresh lettuce!! Thanks for a delicious new recipe!
If you haven’t tried the tart crust from the Tartine cookbook, you haven’t lived yet. Not the main tart crust recipe (which is standard), but the one that’s used for the fruit galettes. It has you roll the butter into the flour, rather than cutting it, resulting in impossibly long, thin strips of butter, and an almost puff-pastry final product. It’s now my go-to crust for everything, sweet or savory, and I’m always shocked that I was able to produce such a miracle with my own two hands.
My go to quiche recipe is very similar – caramelized onions with broth and sherry and gruyere, but I also add chopped fresh thyme. I think the thyme just sets it off. Sometimes i add sauteed cremini mushrooms too, but more often than not it’s just the onions, gruyere and thyme.
Long-time fan of your blog and UK resident here, just chiming in with how much I love your cookbook! I saw it by chance in my local independent book shop on Tuesday and was all, like, ‘I AM HAVING THIS!!’. And when I opened it up and saw that the measurements were also adapted for UK-ish people, my happiness was complete. Just had to come by and say thanks, to you and to whoever decided that doing a UK edition was a good idea, because they were right. And now I have to go and decide which salad I am going to impress everyone with at my next choir practice…
As soon as I got the email about this post I hopped to Amazon and ordered it, and just wanted to say that I’ve never, ever been so excited to get a cookbook. I love your blog and can’t wait to pore over the book. Congratulations!
I’m so glad your book is finally out in the UK, I’ve had it on my wishlist for ages!! Can’t wait to get my copy :D
I just saw the Good Morning America video. Loved that they did the interview in your TINY kitchen! I know you said it was small and it is difficult to gauge size from a TV image, but . . . you do have a small kitchen. I remember reading an interview with Susan Finiger (sp.?). She and ??? her friend had several restaurants and wonderful cookbooks. They both had very small kitchens in their own homes. Said it was easier to work in a small space. I used to go to a wonderful place here in SF where you could see the kitchen. It too was tiny but like yours very organized. You were awesome! This recipe reminds me of a Julia Child recipe I used to make eons ago. Gonna try your recipe, ASAP. Congratulations on the UK publication and thank you SO MUCH for giving recipes with weights. Makes cooking much easier!
Our cupboard was similarly bare the day you posted this and it was fabulous inspiration! We had Guinness around so I used that instead of stock to braise the onions, and had cheddar but no Swiss, so it turned into an Irish twist on a French onion tart. Whole milk (yay toddlers) but no cream, still came out great. Thanks for the dinner idea and for allowing me to postpone my grocery shopping one more day!
I saw your cookbook in store today in London! A whole shop window to yourself! was so happy! xxx
I made this tarte the other night and had a few problems as well. Like artephora, above, my custard sat completely on top of the onion so that once it baked the tarte was in three separate layers: crust, onion, eggs. Not great. When I lived in France my host mom always taught me to put cheese on the bottom, so I should have at least done that so there was more cohesion. Next time I will definitely mix the custard into the eggs as well.
Also, Deb, do you mix your crust by hand? Because there’s no way mine was coming together with 3tbsp of water. I added at least twice that and still had a totally dry, crumbly mess. I didn’t want to make it tough so I just rolled it the best I could and then patted it in place, but I ended up losing most of the dough and so the bottom was super thin. Do you always use a food processor? I don’t have one so if you have suggestions on how to get the crust together by hand with minimal water I would love to hear them.
This looks amazing! I’m not even a big fan of onions & I so want to make this!! Congrats on the UK release – the cover looks gorgeous!! Like others I have the US version but now want both! Everything takes a little longer to get to us here in Australia – but this is well worth the wait! As a late comer to this blogging world – I am continually blown away by the quality of what I find & love that we can share the world through such a variety of lenses! Thanks as always for sharing!!
Thank you for the response. I thought I was using brown onions, but then I hadn’t heard of Spanish onion before. After googling it, they look a lot like brown and I wonder if my grocery store sells Spanish as brown. The rings were quite thick…
And despite the questions, the tart was delicious and I will certainly be making it again. Thank you!
This looks delicious! But, 23 flights since November?! Yikes! Eat the good food while you can because our Earth is not going to last much longer with all that carbon in the air.
I bought your book for Christmas and have been cooking from it so often,it’s on my table permanently. Your recipes are so simple,doable and tasty to boot. So a big thanks to you from Melbourne! I am feasting on your apricot breakfast crisp ( made for the fifth time by the way) as I type. Yum…
I just got the book, is absolutely amazing! I can wait to cook…
Hey Deb! I LOVE that cover. It just screams “Smitten Kitchen” to me, with that leak-y ‘Tachen there. It’s perfectly imperfect.
BTW you got a shout-out from Nigella!! O to the M in the G.
http://www.nigella.com/cookbook-corner/view/the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-recipes-from-a-new-york-kitchen-91
This tart looks delicious! Congrats on your cook book release in the UK and Australia, it looks beautiful. My Cook book comes out at the end of the month and I’m so excited, I’m sure you can related! I love the cover of your cookbook, I hope the US edition is half as beautiful as the UK edition!
I have been reading your blog for so long and I got your cookbook for Christmas. I love your recipes and made the Gingerbread Dutch baby within minutes of opening the book! Congrats on all your success and please keep posting!
I’d been waiting for weeks to get your cookbook over here in the UK, and I’ve been savoring it ever since it arrived last week. It’s beautiful! One quick question: did you adjust the baking powder amounts or use the same as you did for the US cookbook? Since UK plain flour is different to US flour, I usually use 1.5 times the amount of baking powder called for in US recipes. Thanks!
Debbie — No, had never heard of that! So, the baking powder levels are the same as in the US.
Rob — I’m not sure I followed your logic. I should not have gone on a book tour to promote a book that hopes to make from-scratch home cooking fun and accessible because it’s bad for the environment?
Made this last night – it was a hit! The smell in my nyc studio apt was absolutely divine. I “cheated” by using a store bought crust. I used half and half and it worked wonderfully. The best part of all is that my friend and I each have leftovers for lunch today.
I made this two days ago and I loved it! Instead of using butter for the crust though I used olive oil, it worked out fine and instead of the heavy cream (which I did not have, I used butter and milk and that worked out great too :)). Thank you for the recipe, it was delicious! I will be trying your zucchini bread this weekend, and I cannot wait!
Yay! I tried to preorder your cookbook here in the UK when you announced it initially, and all was going well until I got an unceremonious email from the retailer informing me that it had been pulled, so this is very exciting. That belly band with the quotes on is excellent. I don’t know if you have Yotam Ottolenghi’s books, but I aquired Jerusalem as a Christmas present, and it’s gorgeous. He’s a fantastic writer, and the marinade for his shawarma smells heavenly.
Added some fresh rosemary to the crust … amazing!
By the way, when filling pans for blind baking, a jar of pennies heats up like Satan’s armpits.
It is worth reading your blog for your funny comments and the beautiful photography even if I don’t get the time to make your wonderful recipes!
I absolutely love the cookbook! Really glad I waited for the UK edition, can’t wait to get a chance to cook something from it. You really should come to the UK!
Love this tart, made it for dinner last night, thank you. In the first line of the crust directions, I think it is supposed to read “Mix flour and salt together”. By the by, my ten year old son gave me your cookbook for Christmas (after my repeated stating that it was the only thing on my list) and I’m pretty sure he was as proud of himself for giving it to me as you were for writing it.
Beth — Oops! Thanks for noticing.
Hi! I just wanted to comment that this recipe is amazing; I made it for friends last night and there weren’t even leftovers! But I did want to say that the crust ratios seem off. I followed the directions exactly, even wheighing the flour to 250 grams, but there was no way it was going to come together. Perhaps it’s a typo? I just added double the butter and it came out perfictly. (And now i have two pie crusts) So delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this last night.
It was amazing.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!!!!
ps – I bought the crust from the grocery store.
Hurrah! I’m an American in the UK and I was going to order two copies from the states, one for me and one for a friend, but I suspect the US measures might confuse her. So glad to have this alternative. It’ll keep my husband from mucking it up, too. Thanks for always being awesome. If you come to northern England, I’ll show you where to get good pasties and sticky toffee pudding, yummmm.
Woohoo – glad to see your book out here in the UK, just ordered it and can’t wait for it to arrive!
Yum, your tart looks absolutely delicious! I’m in the UK and really looking forward to seeing your book in book shops!
The onion tart looks delicious – I will have to order your book online as I dont think it will have made it to Australia yet!!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I’m very excited for leftovers tonight.
I had the same problems other people seem to have had: crust and layers.
The crust was not coming together at all, so I had to keep adding water. I don’t know how much, I was just slowly drizzling more in until I started to see large clumps. I was very nervous about adding too much water as I’m not that great at making tart and pie crusts. As soon as I saw large clumps, I stopped adding water and the dough turned out great. (I would guess I added at least another tablespoon, but probably more)
The egg/cream mixture sat on top of the onions for me as well. So I had crust, onions, custard layering happening. It wasn’t as pretty as yours, but it still tasted wonderful.
Also, I didn’t have enough cheese with just 1/2 cup. I had to grate some more to sparsely cover the top. Weird.
Those are just the things I had problems with, but none of them would keep me from making this again. It was so so good. And I was very pleased with the amount of dishes used :) I guess the time waiting on the onions gave me time to do some cleanup so I barely had anything to clean after dinner.
I’m sorry to hear that so many of your are having layer separation. I will add a note that it might be better to let the onions cool a little and mix the ingredients before pouring them in. This is the way that I always used to make it; in this case, I’d just hoped it would be faster to pour it all on top of each other. (I.e. not to have to wait until it had cooled a little.) But it’s not worth it if it’s not working for everyone. :)
FYI, did not see your book in the big Waterstones at Bluewater (major mall). Get your people on that!
Hi Deb,
I saw your comments about your cookware. I have had the stainless All-Clad (the original basic ones) for at least 8 years. I thought I read in the directions that they were not to be put in the dishwasher – if I had known they will hold up with no problems I am in a hurry to change my ways! Are yours this genre?
I made this last night – it was so good! I had some issues with the dough being super crumbly (maybe I should’ve added more water like Katie in comment #256?), but I made it work by pressing in what bits fell off as I attempted to transfer it to the tart pan. I mixed the egg/cream mixture in with the onions before pouring it all in the shell as I was scared of getting layers. I just let the onions cool a bit first and then psuedo-tempered the egg/cream mixture with it. I also had plenty of cheese for on top.
So good!
Made this tonight to great reviews. Used a wheat flour from my CSA (all the flour I had) and added kale (also from the CSA). The wheat flour added a texture and the kale added color and flavor. Can’t wait or lunch tomorrow.
I really fell in love with your blog and your amazing recipes! Keep up the good work :) An as your cookbook isn’t out in Germany, I’ll make sure to get the UK edition.
Super excited for the suggestions and metric conversion… it is always a bit of a pain to convert everything and find substitutes – even more so in Germany (as I lived in London I could find everything at Waitrose and other supermarkets, Germany is still a bit ‘nationalist’ or old-fashioned when it comes to cooking ingredients ;))
French onion.. in a tart?? I will definitely have to try this!
Smitten Kitchen double whammy for me today! I made the tart last night, and it was delicious. So delicious that the left overs are calling me from the fridge even though its only 9.30 in the morning. And the Australian version of the cookbook arrived this morning so I’ve been drooling over the pictures and feeling sad that I’ve already done my menu plan and groceries for the week, so I’ll have to wait till next week to get started on it.
I am new to your site and love it. I tried the tart today and was very pleased. My tart pan is enormous, and I was inspired by Spanish style egg-and-potato tortillas, so I added a thin layer of Japanese sweet potato as a first layer. I put them in raw, and they cooked just fine. It was great. I look forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow. Thank you again for your recipes!
How funny, I was cooking up a skillet of onions today! also, I call out the “Simpson Clouds” when I see them too ;)
I love onion tart, but I haven’t made it for years. I have to say, its so much easier when you don’t have to bake blind. I have an aga for a while and the joy of that is that the heat comes up through the bottom so you don’t need to fiddle about with baking beans. I’ll look out for your new UK book.
So many onions! I’ve never had an onion tart, but that looks like something I’d like to try out. This is just one more reason why I need to break down and buy a tart pan.
Made this for dinner the other night with a salad on the side – my husband and I devoured it!! SO yummy!! And I bought my cookbook today! Looks awesome – can’t wait to get cooking!!
I love the smell of onions cooking so that alone may persuade me to cook this recipe. Plus I love french onion soup so this sounds great. I usually leave the crusts for baking pies, but I am tempted…
I just made this. It was so good I’m having trouble saving a serving for my one son who’s working late. It’s hard to tell the rest of the family to leave it when I want it for myself.
I made french onion tart tonight in my 9″ pie pan; it needed the extra egg and cream. We both loved it and the recipe will go into regular use. I’m going to add a bay leaf to the cooking onions next time. I just wish it didn’t take so long to get onions properly golden-brown!
I’ve been admiring your photos from the window seat on instagram lately. I love flying, too, everything about it. Big congratulations on your UK cookbook release! I hope it sells like crazy over there like I’m sure it is here. I think I’ll look through my U.S. copy again tonight for inspiration. This tart looks fantastic, btw.
How tall is your fluted tart pan? I have found several heights for the 9″ (really 9.25″) pan.
Heights 7/8 ” and 1.25 ” and 2.25″
LuisaCA — Mine is 1.25, but you can also use a taller one.
Huge fan from Australia. I studied cooking in New York, pretty much love everything about this blog. Keep up the delicious & tempting recipes!!!
Hi Deb, I made this yesterday and I have to say it was just wonderful. It went down a treat with my visiting parents and I think it will have to become one of my go to recipes. Thanks so much!
I made this last week and it turned out fantastic!
Making this for a second time. I enjoyed it very much. I do have a few questions, though. Did others have a lot of extra dough? I also found the tart dough quite dry, so I added an extra tablespoon of water this time. It was much easier to roll and press into pan. We’ll see how it bakes up!
Just made a version of this for the 4th time – quiche instead of a tart with baby portobellos, onions and baby swiss – really yummy. Finally bought some dried beans so I could blind bake the crust – which makes a nice difference to the final product. I must admit to being a fearful cook – I’m grateful for both your website and those who make comments.
Hi Deb! I live in Australia, and just ran out and bought a copy of your book (from Readings, if any Australians are looking) – it is gorgeous! I’ve been a fan of the blog for a couple of years, and I’m so excited to read the book. Thanks for everything, your blog has really made me into a better cook, and I’m now someone who looks forward to long afternoons spent in the kitchen.
I’ve been looking for an interesting side to serve with steak and salad (something that deviates from the usual potato based dish) and I think this would be perfect! Maybe mini tarts instead of a large one? Thanks for the inspiration ;)
Had great success making this last night with Trader Joe’s frozen pie dough. I had a little left over so I molded them into a muffin tin and used a little filling to make savory onion cupcakes! They were delicious for breakfast this morning. Thank you Deb for posting this and getting me back in the kitchen after a hiatus.
Also- I messed with the onions a bit and poured in some sparkling white Sofia Coppola-from-a-can wine instead of the broth. I also omitted the sugar because the wine took care of some of the sweeter side. Had to cook them a bit longer to get that really pretty carmelization, but it was worth it! Delicious!
Hi! I’d love to buy your cookbook but I live in the Netherlands, so which edition would you recommend, the US or the UK edition?
We Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. I was too lazy to blind-bake the crust and it didn’t cook all the way through. Next time I will try this.
PS – for absolutely crazy reasons I had to miss your book signing in San Francisco… please come out again sometime!
Hello,
Long time reader, first time commenter. I’ve bought a copy of your book and is it excellent.
I’ve made the chicken with grapes and olives and the chocolate pie for a crowd this weekend, they both went down very well.
Just waiting for the peaches in a few months as both my son and I are intent on making the pancakes!
It’s funny, I’m the one who sent my long-suffering boyfriend over to the US to pick up your cookbook – I’m wondering if he’ll be miffed if I pick up this version just for the pretty cover ;)
Think a splash of Marsala would work instead of cognac or vermouth? not too familiar with those flavors. And I assume you could make the caramelized onions the day before?
Kate — Yes and yes.
Hi! I skimmed through the comments section and couldn’t find an answer to my question. So I am hoping you might be able to help me.
I am a vegetarian (one that does not eat eggs) but not vegan. Your recipe calls for an egg, can I do away with the egg or can you suggest a suitable replacement. I like quiches but can’t have them your replacement might just help me overcome that hurdle.
Thanks!
I made this and it was worth the time… delish!!!
This recipe is awesome, and easy. I didn’t have gruyere on hand, so I substituted manchego and parmesan in equal parts. It turned out fabulous. Might have been a bit on the sweet side for me — any suggestions on how to better balance it? Or what a good food pairing would be (apart from green salad) to balance the sweetness of the tart?
I have just taken delivery of the gorgeous UK version of your book. and am in food heaven! Sooooo fab – I want to send it to everyone I know (including my sister-in-law, who I suspect lives down the street from you!). Full of accessible recipes for real life cooks …. and I havn’t even tried to make anything yet …
My dough won’t come together and is crumbly. Anything I can do to fix this?
Deb, I love your recipes, but I’ve never gotten one of your doughs to work for me. It’s always too dry and won’t form into dough. Rolling it out, it just flakes apart. I try adding more water, but it eventually turns into a mess. What am I doing wrong here?
Meg H. — You might be packing your cups of flour too heavily. I scoop then sweep; they’re light cups (the weights are lighter too) so that could throw it. I also run the FP until the dough balls, even if it takes 10 seconds more. Hope that helps.
I’m curious about waiting for your cookbook. (Just ordered it yesterday)
Waiting to try new brilliant recipes.
This tart was delicious!! Not a crumb left. Although next time, I may add an additional egg or two. It was excellent served with collard greens and baked chicken! Thanks so much for the fabulous recipes!
I’m catching up on your blog, and this recipe just begs me to make my first comment. I adore this combination, and I’ve been making a similar tart every 2-3 weeks this winter. The primary difference is that I include about equal parts diced rainbow chard stems and onions. This cuts the sweetness of the onions and is very pretty. I also add one clove of minced garlic, since I’m mincing garlic to add to the chard greens anyway.
I have a couple other things I’ve decided from fiddling with onion-chard stem tart. I switched from a butter and all purpose flour to a olive oil and white whole wheat flour crust. For an easily transportable version, I cut out cream entirely and add 2 more eggs and a little more cheese. I really need to try the beef stock and brandy next time.
I love your cookbook and your site.
The word “aubergine” always make me think of Blackadder, where Prince George says, “My head… oh, my head… feels like the time I was initiated into the Silly Buggers Society at Cambridge. I misheard the rules and tried to push a whole aubergine up my earhole.”
Made this last night. It was as though you read my mind. I did NOT want to go shopping after work on a Friday and the cupboard was quite bare. Miraculously, I had all the ingredients for this tart. Fanfrigg’ntastic! This goes in the must make again and again category! Absolutely delicious. My flour was a bit old and therefore dry, so had to almost double the water to get it to hold together..but it did and was so good. I also had a slightly bigger tart pan so added another egg and some more milk and yogurt (i had no cream in the house) in order to fill the pan a bit more. I recognized the Julia Child method to cook the onions which always works for me…but you do need to turn the heat up slightly once the lid is off in order to carmelize in the times you quoted. i may try adding some fresh thyme to the onions next time, but then again, why mess with perfection? One question for you, which hopefully you’ve not already answered before. Are your oven temps and times for a standard oven or convection? I looked online and in your book, but didn’t find the answer. I used convection bake for the tart at the full 400 deg but used the lesser times and it worked out just fine. Thanks…a longtime fan, but my first posting!
Karen — Temperatures are for a standard oven. Glad you enjoyed the tart!
Oh yes, another tip for those who found the dough crumbly, even with double the water which I needed for my old and therefore dry flour, once I got it to loosely hold together, I let the ball of dough sit in the fridge, covered with plastic, for 10 or 15 mins to finish hydrating the dough before I attempted to roll it out. The dough behaved very well for the roll out after this little time out.
Congratulations!!!
This recipe has to be delicious!!
I hosted a very smitten kitchen Mother’s Day dinner tonight, a soup from the archives to start, followed by this tart with a salad, then roast beef with roast potatoes and roast veggies, and your yogurt panna cotta for dessert.
I have to make this again for lunch sometime without so many other courses so I can eat a bigger slice! It seriously is heavenly.
This is in the oven, and I already know it’s going to be one of the best dinner recipes I’ve ever made. Your blog is wonderful. Congrats on all the success!
I made this last weekend with onions I bought at a local farmers market and while it was good, I had expected a bit more. I followed the recipe as closely as I was able, but my end result was just a touch too sweet for my taste and was somewhat lacking in the depth of flavor I expect from a good bowl of onion soup. I think these things could be easily fixed though, so I will be making this again. Next time though, I think I would make 2 small changes. First, I would leave out the sugar entirely, especially if I’m using the brandy. Secondly, I think I’d let the onions simmer in the beef/mushroom stock for 30 minutes or so before cooking it off.
I just wanted to clarify my earlier comment. The flavor issue I mentioned was not noticeable until I had an exceptional bowl of onion soup for lunch the other day. So please know that it’s not that I didn’t like the tart; it was delicious. It’s more that I wanted to see if I could capture the exceptional flavor of the soup Ii had the other day.
This was the most successful meal I’ve ever made! Thanks for posting the recipe.
Letting the carmelized onions cool now and it’s extremely difficult to not just take a spoon and eat them like this. I have to keep reminding myself that adding cream and gruyere will make it so much better. But this is so hard to believe because they. are. just. so. good.
Also, I didn’t have brandy or cognac so I used Scotch. It’s pretty delicious.
Finally made this last night! It was such a beautiful thing and delicious too!
I live in LA, where the air is dry, so ended up using about 6 Tbsp of ice water to get the crust to come together. I used my Cuisinart, and then at about the 4th tablespoon of water, I poured the mixture into a bowl (which I rinsed and used to beat the egg and cream) and used my hands to work the last 2 tablespoons of water into it.
I started the crust after I added the mushroom stock to the onions, and managed to get it so the dough was in the freezer, and the onions were cooling just as Breaking Bad started. Timer went off at first commercial break, and I had that baby assembled and in the oven before the show started again.
just have to pop into this conversation to say – ahhh yeah. made this tonight (for the 3rd or 4th time) and it was oh so good – again. thanks!!
Loved this. I used a frozen pre-made Tenderflake crust and topped up the Swiss cheese with Parmesan as I was a bit short. Caramelizing the onions took longer for me than the recipe indicated, about 30 minutes. Thank you, Deb, for introducing me to another way to bring French onion soup flavours into my life!
Tried this tart last night and it was delicious! I am eating some for breakfast now : )
I used whole wheat flour for the crust, so I ended up needing about 6 or 7 tablespoons of ice water to get the dough to stick together. Still came out delicious!
Great Recipe! I’m going to be making it again for a Baby Shower brunch coming up!
This one’s been a favorite round here over the last year. We’re making it tonight for Pi day, and I just noticed a wonderful typo in the last paragraph—”PIdeally”. PIdeal for PI day!
Peter — Well, now I hate to fix it! (But I did.) Thanks for the heads up. Glad you’re enjoying it.
Absolutely delicious, it’s the second time I’ve made it and it’s a hit! Thanks again for this fab recipe.
Does this freeze well if made in advance?
Caryn — I haven’t frozen it but think that it would be fine.
Made this for Mother’s Day and it was fabulous!!! 5 of us ate the entire thing. I served it with roasted asparagus and an arugula salad. I even added a pinch of black pepper and some of the shredded gruyere to the pie dough. Turned out great! http://instagram.com/p/n32s8lM0kD/
I’m wondering about making this with leeks instead of onions (or maybe a combination of the two). Do you think it would work? I’ve made it before with onions to great success, but now I have a LOT of leeks hanging out in my fridge to use up…
This! DEB! So, so, delicious. Made for a brunch today (prepped dough & left, covered, in the freezer; left prepped onions in the fridge, both overnight). All that was left to do today was parbake (which I DO think was worth the time) and assembly! CINCH! AMAZING! Not a bite left :) Thank you for all you do. Love.
Last night I was reminded once again why I don’t bake! I don’t have a tart pan (or even a pie pan) and didn’t want to buy one just for this dish, so I had the “brilliant” idea of using the crust from your Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette. As I was assembling the tart and the custard started spilling everywhere, I quickly realized how not so brilliant that idea was. Luckily, I was able to save some of it and the end product was still very delicious. Next time, I’ll skip the custard and mix the cheese into the filling like you do in the Squash and Onion Galette!
Hi Deb,
This Onion Tart looks fantastic. I would like to know if this would work as a no crust tart. Would mixture hold together and slice easily without a crust.
LindaM — I think it would; you might bake it in a buttered dish instead.
I saw this in the newsletter, and since it’s Pi(e) Day, I’m tempted to make it tonight with vegetable stock and entirely the wrong kind of cheese (I currently have Dubliner and horseradish white cheddar), but seeing as I won’t get home again until probably 9:30…ah well, I may do it anyway. Or tomorrow. :P
This sounds delicious! Can a vegetable stock be used?
Absolutely.
Some day I will find them all.
Could you fix the its/it’s in “to it’s most essential parts”?
I’ve been following your blog for years now and this recipe is one of your very best!! I could eat the tart crust by itself with no shame. Thank you for all that you do and share! You bring joy and culinary pleasure to all that you do.
This tart looks fabulous. And the photos are beautiful. How do you manage to remove the tart from the pan without a release pan?
And you have a fabulous review quote from Ottolenghi on the front cover! How loud did you squee when that arrived?!
Still squee-ing, to be honest! (5 years later.)
I need to use a Dufour crust in the freezer…do you think it will work for this? Thanks!
It will, but personally, I’d save it for something that is less weighty, and wouldn’t flatten its gorgeous flakes.
Could I make the onions a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator then just mix into the custard prior to baking? Trying to do as much pre-work before Christmas company arrives.
I made this tart exactly as written ( except I used pre-made pie crust) for a meat-free Lenten Friday evening and was not disappointed. My onions looked darker than the posted pictures, but it was absolutely delicious….I found myself daydreaming at work about going home to eat leftovers….and it was worth the wait!!!
Will definitely put this into rotation!!!
Thanks so much Deb
I just tried to make this, but couldn’t get the tart dough to stay together. Tried once in a bowl by hand — figured that was why it didn’t work. Threw out the first batch and tried again in my food processor. Even added more water. Still didn’t work. Threw out the second batch too (and frankly even ended up vacuuming it off my counter when it wouldn’t even stay together trying to clean it up…). Wish I had a pie crust already made, because I will be keeping the delicious filling in my fridge until I can get to a store for some already made dough to actually make this.
My crust didn’t stay together either! I added more butter and water and got it to stay together but it wasn’t very good. Very dry.
Delicious! I made it into a galette using the method from the blackberry cheesecake galette (ie. Using a tart tin to hold the crust so the filling doesn’t spill out). My husband and I love the flakiness of that crust and very much enjoyed the resulting dinner!
I so looked forward to making this. But 400 degrees to bake the custard was too high; my crust edges burned in 15 min in the oven. I’m so bummed because I made 4 tarts to give to other people. 2 are OK because I learned from my mistake but did you really bake these at such a high temperature for 25-30 minutes?
Deb – I made this recipe yesterday. It is AMAZING!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I used my mandolin to slice the onions (all fingers still intact!), and am glad I did. Super thin slices … super fast!
Fabulous. The onions were sweet and contrasted beautifully with the savoury cheese/custard filling. A great way to use up bags of onions.
I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s always a hit! As a vegetarian, this tart is perfect with a salad and veggie side, and it always satisfies my meat-eating relatives, who never fail to rave about it. It’s delicious and oh-so-easy to put together using pantry staples and no fancy ingredients.
Wow, so good! My pastry was also dry and took a lot of water to bring the dough together. it baked fine though. It took quite a bit longer for the onions to carmelize. I think I will do the first step (when onions are covered) at a higher temp than medium low to speed up the release of water from the onions. This tart was so gorgeous and brown when I took it out of the oven and the smell was amazing. Thank you for another masterpiece!
Made this today because I had lots of onions and some heavy cream. Used sharp provolone as that is what I had. Came out great. Your recipes are spot on, Deb! Thank you for the inspiration. Since I have the Vermouth out I will enjoy a martini with the tart.
I love this tart, I’ve made it roughly a half dozen times now and each time is delicious. I usually end up caramelizing the onions a bit more than the time in the recipe (though maybe mine are just slow), but I think that really deep caramelization adds incredible flavor, I also bump up the volume of onions and cognac, but still always end up needing the extra egg and half cup of cream to fill out the tart shell.
I also really loved the slick of Dijon mustard in Deb’s cauliflower tart, so I’ll sometimes add that at the bottom of this one too (I like this crust par-baked). Probably not really needed, but I love mustard, so I enjoy it.
This tart is so good! It did take me forever to make (I broke up the parbaking of the crust first, and came back to make the filling and bake the tart later), but it honestly took about 3 hrs in total. However, it’s worth it!
I used about 2 lbs of onions, and two eggs and a cup of heavy cream, and it filled up my tart pan and one mini tart pan to the brim.
I’ll be making this again!
I’ve made this a bunch of times though I often use a different crust. In any event, it seems like I could freeze the onions after cooking for future use (to make the tart quicker). Do you foresee any issues from freezing the onions?
This looks amazing ! I plan to make a batch of carmalized onions this week ( I do about 5lbs in my slow cooker and freeze some ) How much of the batch would I need to make this tart, cup wise ?
Deb, thank you. The flavours are fantastic. It’s quite a process, doing each of the stages…but the end result! I was tempted to add some fresh thyme to the onions…yet resisted.
Hmmm…It was okay. I made the crust as written but had to add an additional tablespoon of water to get it to hold together. I rolled it to 12″ but it still seemed a bit thick. I par-baked (I usually do), but it took a long time to get any color. The onions, as I suspected, took MUCH longer than 15 minutes uncovered (closer to an hour) but were delicious. I baked the assembled tart for 30 minutes and it tasted pretty good, but there were ‘soggy bottom’ issues…the base was quite thick and definitely under done.
Not sure I’ll make again :(
First Smitten Kitchen fail for me…kind of sad.
I made this for Mother’s Day brunch and it was a huge hit. I used an 8 1/2″ springform pan which required me to double the filling ingredients. Fortunately I made it far enough ahead to allow for doubling the baking time, as well! (Don’t know why I thought I could bake twice the filling without upping the time in the oven). When it was done, though, wow! Everyone wanted the recipe and everyone fought over the last remaining slices. This is definitely going into my rotation.
One other note – I didn’t bother with a two-part carmelization process with the covered pan/non-covered pan onion saute. I simply carmelized the onions uncovered until they were a deep amber color, then added one can of beef stock (because I doubled the recipe) and cooked it down. It was super-easy and only took maybe 20-25 minutes.
Ok wow this was so good! With some adjustments. As others said, this crust just did not come together for me. Melissa D’Arabian’s pie crust is my go-to and is quite similar – with another stick of butter. So when this didn’t come together I stuck another stick cut into cubes into the freezer for 20 min and added it and a bit more cold water and voila. Crust.
I ended up doing 2lbs of onions and not needing the extra egg. Huge compliments from all and the leftovers were delicious. Will absolutely make again.
I’ve made this a couple of times and like it a lot. My amends:
– Sub a 1/2 cup buckwheat flour in the pastry to give it a little nuttiness
– Add 2-3 bay leaves and some thyme to the cooking onions to impart the soup-y flavour
– Skip the stock step since I’m veggie and rarely have mushroom stock to hand. I was tempted to try a bit of Marmite but not sure I’d be allowed back in France.
– One extra egg or the filling comes up quite thin.
– Next time I’ll do more onions.
Enjoyed the Marmite comment! Thanks for the tips.
Great to see that someone else thought of adding Marmite. I actually did (only had an open chicken broth so added it to deepen the flavour). It’s in the oven at the moment so we shall see what it’s like when it’s done. (I’m Canadian so the addition of Marmite would raise eyebrows here as well!)
We made this yesterday, and it was amazing, thank you so much.