Tarte a l' oignon

Or Onion tart.
I was just thumbing through some of my books and I came across my "The cuisine of Fredy Girardet"

Girardet has always been one of my absolute favorite chefs.
He is now retired "Not really"from his place in Crisser Switzerland.

he is famouse for a warm onion tart he serves to you as you ponder his menu. although I have never been lucky enough to sit and eat Chez Girardet..I have made this tart often and I wanted to share this simple but ausome recipe.
This is for 6-8 people.

For the pastry:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 # butter (softened)
a pinch of salt
1 egg
For the filling:
2/3 onions
1 once bacon
3 tablespoons butter
3 sprigs parsley
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 eggs
S&P to taste
Nutmeg
*****
To make the pastry, In a bowl work the flour,butter and salt together with your fingertips until the mixture is the consistency of meal. Stir in the egg then add 2-4 tablespoons of water, a tablespoon at a time until the dough can be preesed together into a ball. The amout of water depends on the type of flour you use. Refrigerate the dough.

Cut the onions into thin slices, cut the bacon crosswise into thin julienne strips. In a frying pan over low heat brown the bacon in 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the sliced onions and cook until tender.
Mince the parsley. In a bowl,whisk together the cream,milk and eggs and add the salt and pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg to taste. When the onions are tender , add them to this mixture and add the parsley.
Butter a 10 inch tart pan. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is very thin and fits the pan. Line the pan with the pastry and push up to the edges so that is extends above the rim of the pan. Prick the bottom with a fork. Cut a disk of foil to fit the base of the pan and put it on top of the dough.

Cooking the tart:
Heat your oven to 325 F, Bake the pastry for 30 minutes with out letting any of the crust except the edges color. When the edges are browned lightly,remove the tart shell from the oven and remove the foil.Add the onion filling. Return the tart to the oven and turn off the oven. Let the tart bake one hour with the oven turned off.

Thats it
Enjoy
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