Savory Bacon Onion Tart

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Custard, such a simple thing, eggs and cream, that's it. Two simple ingredients come together and transform into a rich and luscious custard, amazing, if you stop and think about it. 

To be clear, custards and puddings differ greatly. From a culinary perspective a custard is an egg thickened preparation, and the reason cheese cake is considered a custard. It is also worth noting that creams and custards are the same preparation. The difference is that creams are typically cooked on a stovetop, while custards are baked.

Pudding , on the other hand, is a starch thickened preparation., usually incorporating some kind of dairy, traditionally milk.

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Onion And Bacon Tart

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Dice the onions.

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Sweat the onions in the tallow until translucent and beginning to caramelize. 

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Once the onions are done transfer them to a sheet pan and spread them out so they cool, quickly.

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Pulse the flour and butter about 8 or 9 times, until the butter breaks up into pea sized chunks.

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Transfer the flour mixture to a medium mixing bowl and add the water. Stir with a wooden spoon to just combine and turn out onto a floured work surface. At this point it should be a shaggy mass.

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Literally, just push it together into a round disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

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Bacon broken into small bites, fresh thyme picked and chopped, and Pecorino Romano cheese.

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Custard mixture.

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Pastry dough ready to roll out.

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Pastry rolled out for individual tart pan.

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Lay the dough over the pan and form it to the shape of the pan. Fill any holes and repair any tears.

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Shred a thin layer of cheese into the bottom of the tart pans. Break the bacon strips into small bites and divide it evenly among the individual tarts. Divide the picked thyme among the pans. Set the pastry aside, on a sheet pan.

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Bacon Onion Tart Recipe

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• Yield: 6 servings
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes

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Equipment

• 9-inch tart pan or six individual tart pans
• Microplane

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Ingredients

For The Filling

• 2 large or 3 medium sweet onions, diced
• 28 grams / 2 tablespoons / 1 ounce tallow or lard
• Kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste
• 3 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon, fried crisp
• 6 sprigs thyme, picked
• 15 grams / 1/2 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 235 milliliters / 1 cup heavy cream

For The Pastry

• 300 grams / 10-1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 200 grams / 7 ounces butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 100 grams / 3-1/2 ounces ice water
• 2-1/2 grams / 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

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Method

1. Preheat oven to 325° F / 160° C.
2. In a medium saute pan or non-stick pan melt the tallow. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sweat the onions in the tallow until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Once the onions are done transfer them to a sheet pan and spread them out so they cool, quickly.
3. Meanwhile, weigh out the flour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse about 8 or 9 times, until the butter breaks up into pea sized chunks.
4. Transfer the flour mixture to a medium mixing bowl and add the water. Stir with a wooden spoon to just combine and turn out onto a floured work surface. At this point it should be a shaggy mass. Literally, just push it together into a round disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Once the pastry is ready roll it out into a round sheet to fit the size pan you are using. If you are making individual tarts roll the dough out about 8 or 9 inches wide (20 - 22 centimeters). Lay the dough over the pan and form it to the shape of the pan. Fill any holes and repair any tears. Repeat until all of the pans are lined.
6. If you are making one large tart roll the dough out about 12 inches or 30 centimeters. Fold the dough in half and then in half again. This facilitates picking up the dough. Place the folded corner in the center of the pan and unfold the dough. Again, fill any holes and repair any tears.
7. Using a microplane, shred a thin layer of cheese into the bottom of the tart pan or pans. break the bacon strips into small bites and divide it evenly among the individual tarts, or spread out over the large tart. Repeat with the picked thyme and set the pastry aside.
8. Add the eggs to a medium mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Whisk to thoroughly scramble. Add the cream and whisk until well incorporated. Add the onions an stir to mix well.
9. Place the tart pan, pans, on a sheet pan. Divide the custard mix among the tart shells. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake until the tops are golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes.
10. Serve with a simple mix green salad, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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Notes

1. For pastry crust the best method is to work the butter in by hand. However, using a food processor will do a respectable job, as long as you DO NOT over mix it. Literally, tap the pulse button 8 or 9 times in rapid succession.
2. You can add the water to the pastry in the food processor, but beware that it becomes incredibly easy to over mix, turning it into a paste.
3. The purpose of the refrigeration step is to allow the flour to properly hydrate and allow the butter to firm back up. This is important because there is no leavening in the dough. The rise comes from the butter releasing steam during the baking process. If desired, you could add a teaspoon of baking powder to the dough. Baking soda doesn't work here because there is no acid in the dough to interact with.
4. You can easily take this bacon onion tart and turn it into an onion tart recipe by omitting the bacon. Then you would have a caramelized onion tart.

Tags: bacon onion tart, onion and bacon tart, onion tart recipe, caramelized onion tart

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