Yum, onion, and how

Last week, I posted a picture of an onion tart, just out of the oven. Sweet caramelized onions, a little Gruyere, and a buttery crust. Yum! Here it is again:



Now, here's the how-to.

1 red pepper
3 large onions, preferably sweet
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. honey
salt and pepper
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. cold water
1/2 cup grated Gruyere

In the broiler or on a grill, char the red pepper, turning it so that the skin blackens on all sides. Remove the pepper from the heat and seal it in a paper bag.

Chop or thinly slice the onions. Melt 2Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, and then add the onions. Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add the leaves to the pan. Add the honey, season the onions with salt and pepper, and cook them slowly until they are soft and golden.

Mix the flour and salt. Cut the stick of butter into cubes, and then cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is in pea-sized chunks. Mix the egg and water together, and then add that to the flour mixture. Incorporate thoroughly, but with as little handling as possible. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Meanwhile, peel the charred skin off of your red pepper. Seed the pepper, and slice it into strips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 14" circle. Transfer the dough to your pan (I use a 12" pizza pan), and then fold the edges of the crust over and crimp them with your fingers.

Spread the onions evenly on the crust, sprinkle the cheese on top, and then arrange the red pepper slices. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour.