Author Notes
Savory tarts or quiche are always in my rotation when we have house guests! The sweetness of the slow-cooked onions works so well with the salty ham and creamy gruyere cheese. The mascapone makes the eggy-custard even richer than usual. —MainelyEating
Ingredients
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1
deep dish pie crust - defrosted (or make your own!)
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2
large vidalia onions - finely sliced (ideally on a mandolin)
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1
small knob of butter
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1/3lb
good quality ham - chopped into bite size pieces
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1 bunch
chives - finely chopped
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6 ounces
gruyere cheese - grated
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3
large eggs
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2
egg yolks
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1/2 cup
heavy cream
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2 tablespoons
mascapone
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1 pinch
salt and pepper
Directions
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Over a low heat, cook the onions in the butter for a good 60-90 minutes until they've reduced down into a sad looking tangle of onion strings. Lightly season to taste (remember the ham will add salt later)
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Pop your pastry-crust into a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes (line the base with a piece of parchment paper and weigh it down with dry beans or rice to prevent it rising up). Lower the oven to 325 degrees F once you remove the pastry crust.
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In a large bowl, mix the 3 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, heavy cream, mascapone and chives. Season.
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Spread the caramelized onions over the base of the partially-baked pastry crust.
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Top the onions with half of the gruyere cheese
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Add the chopped ham
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Sprinkle over the remaining gruyere cheese
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Slowly pour over the egg/cream/mascapone mixture. Be careful not to overfill! You can use a fork to kind of poke around in the filling to make sure the egg mixture gets all the way to the bottom and there are no hidden air pockets.
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Bake the tart in the oven for 30-40 minutes. If the pastry starts to get too brown, make a little "collar" out of aluminum foil to protect it for the remainder of the cooking time. yourUse a cake tester or skewer to check the interior isn't still super runny. The tart will continue cooking for a little while once you remove it from the oven. Ideally you want a little jiggle when you lightly shake it.
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Let the tart rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve. Enjoy it warm, at room temperature or straight from the fridge.
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