Tonight I’m responsible for an entrée for twenty-five or so people in my study group. You probably think I’m freaking out running around the kitchen in a panic, but it’s just not so. You see, I have a secret weapon for serving large crowds when another casserole just won’t do. Tonight I’m making a Caramelized Onion, Ham, and Gruyere Tart – except it’s really just a quiche. Tart sounds fancier. Call it what you like, it’s a delicious and very classic yet easy dish to create. Tonight we are studying a French ruler from the Middle Ages who enjoyed excellent food. But she didn’t enjoy everything we currently eat – no potatoes – no rice – they hadn’t been introduced to that part of the world yet. Lots of veggies we think of as universal simply weren’t around, but grains were plentiful, and hard vegetables, like onions, were easy to store and enjoy all year long. If your purse was fat enough and you were quite swell, there was plenty of cheese and even fresh meat.
I’ve made five large quiches – sorry - tarts – and I think the crowd will love them. Along with a good salad, some French bread, and apple pie (tart!) how can we go wrong?
The real trick to this recipe is to take the time to caramelize the onions. If the very idea of this step makes you sad then don’t do it! You can serve a plain cheese quiche and no one will be mad at you. Caramelizing onions does take time, but virtually no effort once you get them started.
First, chop an onion and maybe a half more for each quiche. Next, over very low heat with a dab of oil and butter, cook your onions covered for about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook onions stirring very occasionally until they are lightly golden brown and caramelized. It takes an hour to an hour and a half. I did that last night while I was making dinner and watching the news. The rest was a breeze to put together today. This recipe is so basic I don’t even have it written down. Here goes, sprinkle a cup (aka two big hands full) of grated Gruyere cheese into an unbaked pie shell.
Top with another cup of chopped ham. I cooked a small ham because I was making so many tarts, but good deli ham would work. On top of that spread the onions. Three eggs, a cup of cream, plus salt and pepper whisked together complete this recipe! If you feel so inclined a dash of nutmeg on top is a very nice touch. Make the tart the day of you want to serve it and either reheat or serve at room temperature. It’s just that easy! Now you are an amazing French Chef! Congratulations and Bon Appetite!
Caramelized Onion, Ham, and Gruyere Tart
(This recipe is for one which should serve 4 to 6 as an entrée)
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small onions, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp butter
I Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 unbaked pie shell ( purchased or homemade - You’re Grown – Now You Can Cook page 63)
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated (about ¼ lb)
1 cup cooked ham, chopped in small cubes
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Nutmeg to grate or sprinkle on top – just a pinch
Directions
In a heavy pan or Dutch oven, heat butter and oil over very low heat.
Add onions, salt, and sugar and stir.
Cover the pot and cook over low heat about 15 minutes stirring twice. The onions should sweat out lots of liquid.
Uncover and continue cooking over low heat stirring about every 15 minutes until onions are light golden brown, about an hour.
Remove from heat and cool. You can do this the day before and store onions in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sprinkle cheese in an unbaked pie shell, top with ham and onions.
In a large bowl mix eggs and cream with salt and pepper until well blended and pour over the ingredients in the pie shell.
Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
