This creamy onion tart is exquisite and exquisitely simple to make. The filling is nothing more than sauteed white onion, butter, cream, milk, and eggs. The crust is a flaky, buttery pâte brisée.
LC Simple Sophistication Note
“Its greatness lies in its simplicity,” wrote LC recipe tester Susan B. of this onion tart after making it–and promptly swooning to it. Who are we to argue with such sophisticated logic? What also wowed and wooed us was how satiating it was in those sort of in-between-the-seasons temperatures when the days are warm but the nights still quite cool.
Creamy Onion Tart
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
In a large skillet, combine the onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until very tender and pale gold, about 25 minutes.
In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream in a slow, steady stream. Still whisking, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, whisking occasionally.
Pour a little of the cream mixture into the eggs, whisking until completely combined. Slowly whisk this mixture back into the cream mixture in the saucepan, a little at a time, until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in the caramelized onions, then season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spoon the mixture onto the pate brisee, spreading it evenly.
Bake the tart until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the tart cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then unmold. Slice and serve warm.
Recipe Testers' Reviews
This creamy onion tart was delicious and creamy! The sweetness of the onions caramelizing made the kitchen smell heavenly. The filling was very thick when putting it in the tart crust, but it came out very creamy. We felt the tart needed some salt in the filling. Using unsalted butter and no cheese, I would add one teaspoon kosher salt next time.
I did not bake for the full hour. I baked the tart for only 40 minutes after blind baking the crust as instructed. The Pate Brisee recipe was also easy to follow for a flaky tart crust. This was a wonderful and warming dinner with a salad after shopping for the holidays! I’ll definitely keep the recipe around.
WOW… this creamy onion tart one was a HUGE hit, especially with the toddlers. I was very surprised, as the onion taste was pretty pronounced. It was nice and creamy and cooked to perfection. Everyone absolutely loved it.
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Thanks for the fine recipe! Not only a delicious, savory tart but the recipe is scaled perfectly: pate brisée and volume of filling are exact with no overage.
Michael, that’s wonderful. And your photo is superb. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I baked this using spelt flour and it’s so DELICIOUS with creamy onion filling! Thanks!
Angie, our pleasure. I think your variation was fantastic.
Yummy…..great photos
Isn’t that image of the creamy onion tart stunning, Priyanka? We can’t take credit for the loveliness at the top of this page, though. It’s the handiwork of photographer John Kernick. The book in which this recipe appears, Home Cooking with Jean-Georges, is filled with his talent. And, of course, Jean-Georges’ talent. Anyways, many thanks for your kind words.