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Caramelized Onion & Thyme Tarts Recipe

Caramelized Onion & Thyme Tarts

You can make the tart dough a few days in advance and the filling up to a day ahead, but try to assemble and bake just before serving. Serves sixteen as a starter. Yields 4 tarts.

For the dough:
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1-1/4 tsp. kosher salt
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the topping:
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 medium yellow onions, very thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Make the dough:

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add half of the butter and gently toss with your hands to coat each piece with flour. Using a pastry cutter or two table knives, cut the butter into the flour until it’s the texture of coarse meal. Add the remaining butter, gently toss again to coat each piece, and quickly cut again until the larger pieces are about the size of large peas. In two or three additions, sprinkle about 1/3 cup ice water into the bowl, lightly tossing the mixture between your fingers to moisten it evenly. Stop adding water when the dough looks ragged and rough but holds together when you gently squeeze a small clump in your palm. Shape the dough into a brick (be careful not to knead it, just squeeze it gently into a solid mass). Cut the dough in half crosswise. Press each half into a flat rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. (The dough can also be refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to one month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.)

Make the topping:

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute and then add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, thyme, and 1/2 tsp. salt and sauté until the onions are tender and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Taste the onions and add more salt if necessary—they should be well seasoned. Transfer the onions to a medium bowl and set aside to cool. (This may be done up to a day ahead; keep covered and refrigerate.)

Roll the dough:

Remove one rectangle of dough from the fridge. Cut it in half crosswise. Working with one half at a time, roll it on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-inch-thick narrow rectangle, about 14 inches long and 5 inches wide. (If the dough is too cold to roll easily, let it warm at room temperature on a baking sheet lined with parchment (two narrow rectangles should fit side by side), top with a second sheet of parchment, and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining dough and refrigerate until you’re ready to prepare the tarts. (This may be done up to 4 hours ahead; keep covered. To conserve space, stack all four rectangles on one baking sheet between layers of parchment.)

Assemble the tarts:

About 1 hour before serving, position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. About 40 minutes before serving, divide the onions into four equal portions and spread them in a thin, even layer on the dough rectangles, leaving a 1-inch border. (You may not need to use all the onions; a thick layer will weigh down the tart slices and they’ll flop when your guests pick them up.) Fold the exposed border over the onions—if the dough is too thick in the corners, trim as necessary. Brush the folded edges with the egg. Bake the tarts until the crust is well browned, about 30 minutes, switching the positions of the baking sheets halfway through. Remove the tarts from the oven and let cool briefly on the baking sheet. Cut each tart into eight slices and serve.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on 16 servings; Calories (kcal): 160; Fat (g): 11; Fat Calories (kcal): 90; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 2; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 3; Carbohydrates (g): 14; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 130; Cholesterol (mg): 40; Fiber (g): 1;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 75 , pp. 54-55
December 1, 2006


user reviews

Star Star Star Star Star Loved it! I changed it up just a little to use up stuff I needed to from the frig. I used 2 leeks, 1 medium red onion and 1 medium yellow onion instead of 3 yellow onions. I also added a lit bit of fennel seed with the thyme-- it was excellent--
Star Star Star Star Star These were delicious and, with some very minor alterations, easy to make and baked quickly. As suggested by a previous reviewer, I made the tarts with filo because we love a lighter flaky tart. While the caramelized onion/thyme topping was lovely as written, we discovered it was even better with some finely shredded gruyere sprinkled on top immediately out of the oven. Will definitely make these again. I popped them in the oven for about 5 minutes, removed then when we learned that guests would be late and returned them to the oven for 5 more minutes when guests arrived. The "pre-baking" made them even faster to serve.
Star Star Star Star Star Really delicious -- we have made this two years in a row for Thanksgiving. To make it easier, we have used phyllo dough. We also cook the onions for far longer than the recipe suggests (more like 20-30 minutes) just to be sure they are soft and sweet. If you make the onions the day before your dinner, the dish is very easy and quick to get to the table.
Star Star Star Star Star I must begin my review by admitting that I didn't follow this recipe, really. I used my own pie pastry recipe that I know & like (v. similar to this one). I added a tiny pinch of sugar to the onions as they cooked. I tossed a little bit of shredded romano cheese on top of the onions on some of the tarts. BUT, all those changes aside, this is an awesome little appetizer. Very, very tasty. Very simple. I will certainly use this recipe again and again.
Star Star Star Star Star This tart was very easy and exceptionally tasty. I used all of the onions and put crumbled blue cheese on it just after I took it out of the oven. I took it as an appetizer, and it was the best dish of the night!
Star Star Star Star Star This is a fantastic recipe! The dough is super easy to make and I am not a dough making person! Be careful not to load on too many onions as the slices will bend and break after you cut them - I have done this recipe twice and both times I had leftover onions. Even if it falls apart it tastes FANTASTIC!!