Photos by Paul Strabbing

Thinly slice the onions. Slowly cook them with a small amount of oil until tender, about one hour. For something different, try caramelizing the onions.

Brush with browned butter and bake for 40 minutes at 350°F.

A green salad tossed in walnut vinaigrette (see formula) makes a great accompaniment to the onion tart.

Chef John Kraus, pastry chef and instructor at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago teaches his students the art of pastry that includes advanced bread techniques. In 2005 Chef Kraus was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States by a national pastry magazine. For more information on The French Pastry School, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.

The onion tart is an Alsatian classic. Onions played a large role in the lives of Alsatian farmers. Not only is it a plentiful and affordable vegetable, farmers used to examine the onion’s skin to determine how harsh the winter would be: the thicker the skin, the more grueling the winter.

By mixing the flavorful onion with the staples of milk, eggs and flour, people were able to create an enticing and refined meal fairly cheaply. Because of its availability and satisfying flavor, this dish has remained popular through the years. Similar to the infamous French onion soup, the onion tart expresses rustic warmth to be enjoyed in the autumn and winter months.

The onion tart is quick and easy to prepare using ingredients that are found in any bakery. This tart offers a unique alternative to the more commonly served quiche. Bacon, cheese, cabbage, seasonal vegetables or anything else you have on hand, may be added to the tart to offer some variety. Modifying the components will keep your customers interested in this specialty.

The onion tart can be sold as a lunch or afternoon snack item by the slice or as a complete tart for dinner. As a lunch entrée, the tart works well when accompanied by a small mixed salad. This tart can be produced in the morning and will be shelf-stable through out the day, long enough to be served to a family safely at dinnertime. Customers who come in to purchase the onion tart as a quick lunch item will hopefully add to their purchase with a loaf of bread or cake for that evening’s meal increasing your profits. The onion tart also can be prepared as a savory petit four for parties. The formula given produces three 8-in. tarts.

Onion tart
Onion 3 kg
Milk 1.5 kg
Flour 150 g
Butter 150 g
Eggs, 12
Salt 45 g
Pepper, as needed
Nutmeg, as needed
Total appr. wt. 4.845 kg
Method: Thinly slice the onions. Slowly cook with a small amount of oil until tender, about one hour. Prepare a béchamel with the butter, flour and milk. Mix in the onions and eggs. Then, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a pie shell. Melt butter in a pan until it takes on a hazelnut color, and brush the top of the tarts with the browned butter. Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F. Yields three 8-in. tarts.

Walnut vinaigrette
Whole grain mustard 45 g
White wine vinegar 300 g
Walnut oil 750 g
Toasted walnuts, as needed
Total appr. wt. 1.095 kg
Method: Mix all ingredients together.